Puneri Paltan put up a fantastic performance against derby rivals U Mumba to clinch a 43-32 victory at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday. Mohit Goyat's Super 10 â 12 points from 17 raids â was the icing on a tremendous team performance by the Paltan in Pro Kabaddi League 2023/24.
In a match billed as one of the fiercest derbies in the season, the Paltan started off the stronger. Pankaj Mohite's SUPER RAID in only the fourth raid of the game set the tone for the Paltan. Soon enough they had inflicted a first ALL OUT on U Mumba, to take a 13-6 lead.
Puneri Paltan continued to put pressure on their opponents and took full control fo the game. V Visvanath's SUPER TACKLE on Mohit Goyat was the only highlight for U Mumba in the first half as the teams went into the break with Paltan leading 21-13.
Pro Kabaddi League 2023/24: Puneri Paltan take down U Mumba 43-32 to take two wins from two in PKL Season 10
The Paltan remained relentless after the break streaking into a 13-point lead at one point of time before U Mumba turned things around. Within five minutes of the second half, they inflicted an ALL OUT of their own to claw back to 20-29.
Despite that setback, Puneri Paltan never let U Mumba wrest the game away from them, and only doubled down on their all-around brilliant display to consistently chip away and keep their huge lead intact. With three minutes of the game left, they inflicted a second ALL OUT on U Mumba before cruising to an 11-point win in Pro Kabaddi League 2023/24.
Schedule for Pro Kabaddi League 2023/24 match on Saturday:
Game 1: Bengaluru Bulls vs Haryana Steelers â 8 pm Game 2: U.P. Yoddhas vs Telugu Titans â 9 pm
Season 10 of the Pro Kabaddi League will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network and for free on Disney+ hotstar.
Based on the evolving talents and broken records, the debate of "who of the best raider in PKL history?" may go on forever. But here we aim to settle that argument as per the current data and legacy of PKL's raiding legends. Check them out.
Kabaddi, especially the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), is known for its intense raiding. Raiders are the architects of points in this fast-paced sport. Every PKL season brings new heroes, and the question about the best raider in the history of the tournament always sparks heated discussions.
Therefore, it is now time to explore the list of incredibly talented raiders who dominated this stage. Who is the best raider in PKL history? Let's find out.
1. Pardeep Narwal (Left Raider)
Pardeep Narwal in PKL. Image | Jagran Josh
Raid Points: 1801
Matches: 190
Teams played for in PKL: Patna Pirates, UP Yoddhas, Bengaluru Bulls
Pardeep Narwal tops the chart with 1801 raid points, which earns him the title of best raider in PKL history. He is one of the greatest in the history of Kabbadi and holds multiple raiding records.
Known as the "Dubki King," his signature "dubki" move, where he ducks under defenders, has earned him countless points. His ability to change the course of a game has led the Patna Pirates to 3 straight titles in the Pro Kabaddi League.
Teams played for in PKL: Jaipur Pink Panthers, Bengal Warriors
The captain and lead raider of Bengal Warriors, Maninder Singh holds the second position with 1528 points. He is one of the most reliable and consistent sources of the team. He is particularly effective with hand touches and running hand touches.
Maninder led Bengal Warriors to their maiden PKL trophy in 2019, which speaks volumes about his skill and stature.
3. Pawan Kumar Sehrawat (Raider)
Pawan Kumar Sehrawat in PKL. Image | TOI
Raid Points: 1318
Matches: 139
Teams played for in PKL: Bengaluru Bulls, Gujarat Giants, Telugu Titans, Tamil Thalaivas
The "Hi-Flyer," Pawan Kumar Sehrawat, has scored 1318 points, which is the third-highest in the list. He had an amazing journey in this tournament and achieved most raid points in 3 consecutive seasons (2018, 2019, 2021).
Pawan's aggressive approach and ability to inflict all-out attacks quickly have made him one of the most feared raiders. He also became the most expensive player in PKL history when he got picked up by Tamil Thalaivas for ₹2.26 crores in the 9th season.
Arjun Deshwal in action during a match in PKL. Image | X
Raid Points: 1174
Matches: 114
Teams played for in PKL: Jaipur Pink Panthers
Arjun Deshwal has rapidly risen at the top and clinched the title of "Raid Machine," with 1174 points and brilliant techniques. He was a key part of the Jaipur Pink Panthers in their 2022 victory.
Deshwal's ability to earn crucial points, especially in do-or-die raids, has made him this successful. He was also part of the Indian team that won the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
5. Naveen Kumar (Raider)
Naveen Kumar in PKL. Image | Jansatta
Raid Points: 1102
Matches: 107
Teams played for in PKL: Dabang Delhi K.C
Naveen Kumar is one of the youngest and fastest raiders in the league. With 1102 raid points, he has consistently achieved Super 10s and holds the record for most consecutive Super 10s in the tournament's history.
His quick movement, combined with hand and toe touches, makes him a nightmare for the opposition.
Rahul Chaudhari in action during a PKL match. Image | NDTV
Raid Points: 1045
Matches: 154
Teams played for in PKL: Telugu Titans, Tamil Thalaivas, Jaipur Pink Panthers
The former Kabaddi star, Rahul Chaudhari, had a phenomenal PKL journey, having scored 1045 points in 154 matches. After starting off as a defender, his transformation into one of the most successful raiders was fascinating.
Rahul was the first player to reach 500, 700, and 800 points, and still stands strong in the top 10 after his retirement.
7. Sachin Tanwar (Raider)
Sachin Tanwar in PKL. Image | Sportstar
Raid Points: 1034
Matches: 145
Teams played for in PKL: Gujarat Giants, Patna Pirates, Tamil Thalaivas
Sachin Tanwar is a versatile raider known for his call presence and under-pressure performance. Since his 2017 debut, he has scored 1034 total points, which is quite impressive and comes in handy for the teams he represents.
He has the ability to change and adapt his style to different match situations, which makes him a keyraiding option.
8. Deepak Niwas Hooda (All-Rounder)
Deepak Niwas Hooda doing a thigh-five after a successful raid in PKL. Image | ESPN India
Raid Points: 1020
Matches: 157
Teams played for in PKL: Telugu Titans, Puneri Paltan, Jaipur Pink Panthers
Deepak Niwas Hooda is the 8th player to have 1000+ raid points in PKL history. While listed as an all-rounder, his 1020 points in 157 matches show how capable he is in raiding.
Hooda is known for his experience, leadership, and has a variety of medal records in Kabaddi tournaments (2016 Kabaddi World Cup, 2018 Asian Games, South Asian Games, etc).
Defending champions Jaipur Pink Panthers gave an incredible account of themselves as they stormed to a 41-24 triumph over U.P Yoddhas in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 match at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex on Wednesday. Arjun Deshwal got back to his scoring ways as he finished with 13 points.
Both teams got off to a cautious start, with the Panthers narrowly leading 6-5 after the first 10 minutes. And then the Panthers got going - Arjun made light work of the Yoddhas' defence and Panthers' captain Sunil Kumar produced a brilliant tackle on Vijay Malik to bag an ALL OUT in the 14th minute. The Panthers raced to an 11-6 lead and went on to seize control of the game.
Arjun got rid of four defenders in as many raids and a couple of sharp tackles saw the Panthers inflict a second ALL OUT within four minutes. The scoreline read 20-7 in the Panthers' favour and the Yoddhas were completely undone. The defending champs went into the break with a 15-point lead at 24-9 and they were in complete control of the match.
The Yoddhas gained momentum in the second half via two superb tackles from Gurdeep and a burst of pace from Pardeep Narwal offered them hope. The Record Breaker scored points in four successive raids, the last of which saw him get past Ashish and toss aside Lucky Sharma to claim an ALL OUT. The deficit was cut down to eight points and the Panthers led 28-20.
But the score difference was too much for the Yoddhas to catch up to, despite their defence shaping up better. The game was put to rest when Arjun produced a mindblowing SUPER RAID in the final minute of the game, which also led to a third ALL OUT for the Panthers. That final raid saw Arjun pick up his third Super 10 of the season and gave the Panthers a massive 17-point victory. This is their third win of the season.
A superlative performance by the Puneri Paltan saw them decimate Bengaluru Bulls 43-18 in the final game of their home leg at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex on Wednesday. The win saw Paltan extend their stay at the top of the table and increase their score differential to an incredible +72. The PKL 10 will move to Chennai from 22 December 2023.
In a supremely dominant first-half performance, every part of the Puneri Paltan machine worked with precision and synchronisation. They inflicted their first ALL OUT on the Bulls within the first five minutes to take a 10-2 lead. Their defenders in particular were on fire, matching their raiders almost point for point through the half.
A second ALL OUT followed soon after, and by this time the Paltan were streaking away into the distance with a 23-5 lead. The Paltan defence missed just three tackles in the first half, taking an extraordinary 10 points from them. They went into half-time leading by a massive 20 points.
The home side inflicted a third ALL OUT in the opening minutes of the second half to take a virtually unassailable 33-10 lead. From thereon it became a battle between the Bulls pride and Mohammadreza Chiyaneh's determination to grab as many tackle points in as many ways as possible. Chiyaneh missed a mere 2 tackles all evening to finish with 7 points (one even coming from a raid), as the Paltan wrapped up a comfortable 26-point victory.
Please find below the schedule for PKL 10 matches on Friday.
Game 1 - Tamil Thalaivas vs Patna Pirates - 8 pm
Game 2 - Haryana Steelers vs Telugu Titans - 9 pm
Venue: Chennai
Season 10 of the Pro Kabaddi League will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network and for free on Disney+ hotstar.
Dabang Delhi registered their second win of PKL Season 10 with a 51-40 win over the Telugu Titans at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex on Friday. While the high-profile raiding duo of Pawan Sehrawat and Naveen Kumar duly obliged with 14 points apiece, the real star was Ashu Malik, whose 16 points proved to be the difference between the two sides.
The opening passage of play was true to what was billed as a battle between the star raiders of each team as Naveen and Pawan Sehrawat went toe to toe with every raid. It was Delhi's captain though who was getting back more touch points, and soon enough Delhi inflicted a first ALL OUT of the game to take a 11-3 lead.
Looking down the barrel, the Titans turned things around in a blistering passage of play, where they erased a nine-point deficit in a mere five minutes.
The pace of the game was relentless and yet again Delhi hit back. A three-point SUPER RAID by Naveen started a second Titans collapse with mere minutes remaining for the break. It came at a cost though as Naveen went off injured for the rest of the half â having logged a SUPER 10 already. Despite his absence, Delhi inflicted a second ALL OUT to take a commanding eight-point lead into the break.
The Titans piled on the pressure in the second half, and despite Naveen's return to the mat, had Delhi on the ropes within the first 10 minutes itself. A SUPER TACKLE by Ashu Malik on Sehrawat staved off the inevitable, but soon enough the Titans got a second ALL OUT of their own to cut the lead to five points.
Malik took the mantle for Delhi's revival, and soon enough was logging points with every raid, completing a super 10 of his own. His brilliance helped Delhi inflict a third ALL OUT and eventually wrap up an 11-point victory.
Pro Kabaddi League 2023-24 will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network and for free on Disney+ Hotstar.
The Puneri Paltan bounced back ecstatically when they handed the Bengal Warriors a massive 49-19 loss â their first in Pro Kabaddi League 2023-24 â at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune on Saturday. The Paltan army, who went down to the Haryana Steelers on Friday night, never let the opponent raiders settle and their 24 tackle points is now a new record for a team in a single PKL match.
The home side did not let the occasion of facing the table toppers deter them from a perfect start. Their excellent defending got Maninder Singh in his first raid before Pankaj Mohite's successful two-point raid gave the Paltan an early lead. However, the mighty Maninder can hardly be kept out of the action. The Warriors captain, continuing his form from their record-breaking win over Patna Pirates, equalled the score with a SUPER RAID, proving why he is one of the best raiders in the game.
Despite this, the Paltan army headed into the strategic time-out with a slender 7-6 advantage and built on it with an excellent SUPER TACKLE to grab three points off Maninder once again.
The Warriors buckled after their slow start and upped the ante in the final minutes of the first half. A second SUPER RAID in the game for Maninder eliminated Abinesh, Mohammadreza Chiyaneh and Pankaj Mohite, but Mohit Goyat and Aslam Inamdar's 'Never-Give-Up' attitude got them two consecutive SUPER TACKLES.
Such was their defensive prowess in front of a boisterous home crowd that the Pune team managed 12 tackle points and just 6 raid points at the end of the first half, adding pressure on the Warriors with the score reading 20-12.
The side from Kolkata continued to be pegged back and were ALL OUT early in the second half as the Paltan kept up their phenomenal form. Such was the domination of the Puneri men on the night that Maninder Singh, who got 15 points in the last game, was silenced for much of the match.
For every point that the Warriors managed to score, the Paltan had the perfect answer. Left stunned by the all-round ability and the mat presence of the Puneri Paltan, the Warriors fell to a second ALL OUT late in the game, effectively ending any chances of a win for the PKL Season 7 winners.
Pro Kabaddi League 2023-24 will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network and for free on Disney+ hotstar.