PKL 8: Top five players with the most super raids

The fans saw some exhilarating performances from the raiders last season.

Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 8 came as a relief for Indian kabaddi fans. They saw their favourite stars in action almost after a gap of two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Indian stars didn’t disappoint and produced top performances week-after-week.

In the end, it was Dabang Delhi who defeated Patna Pirates 37-36 in a close battle to grab their first PKL title. The Pirates were playing in their fourth PKL final after a terrific run in the league stages, but failed to replicate the same performance in the shoowpiece.

All-rounder Vijay Malik and star raider Naveen Kumar played crucial roles in Dabang Delhi’s title victory. Vijay also led his team in the raiding department in the absence of the "Naveen Express" and produced some memorable moments for his team.

Apart from him, a lot of other raiders also breached their potential to help their teams reach new heights in the tournament. They constantly scored big points and super raids during the season. Let’s take a look at the players with the most super raids in the PKL last season.

5. Vijay Malik

Vijay Malik stepped up for Dabang Delhi when the team needed him the most. Naveen Kumar suffered an injury in the middle of the season and the team’s chances of winning the title were looking bleak. However, Vijay didn’t let the pressure of the big stage affect him and scored a total of 162 points in 23 matches.

He provided some assistance in defence, but his raiding prowess made him the star of the team. Malik scored six super raids in PKL Season 8 and took his team to their first title.

4. Aslam Inamdar

Puneri Paltan shocked everyone with their performance in PKL Season 8. They had a legend in Anup Kumar in the coaching role, but the team lacked firepower on-paper. However, it didn’t affect the mood of the squad and they registered many big victories to reach the semi-finals of the tournament.

All-rounder Aslam Inamdar was at the centre of Puneri Paltan’s extraordinary outing last season. He came out of obscurity and took the league by storm, with his phenomenal all-round performances on the mat. He scored 169 raid points and also helped his team in defence with 20 points.

Inamdar provided ample support to other raiders such as Mohit Goyat. He performed seven super raids as well, which took the audience to the edge of their seats. Fans will expect a scintillating performance from him in the next season as well.

3. Surender Gill

Surender Gill played a massive role in the raiding department to take UP Yoddha into the semi-finals of PKL Season 8. He played a total of 23 matches last season and scored 198 points. At the start of the season, when "Dubki King" Pardeep Narwal was struggling to find his form on the mat, it was Surender who bailed out UP Yoddha at the crucial moments.

His 189 raid points also include seven super raids that he performed during last season. Gill’s team failed to win their first PKL title, but his skills forced people to take notice of him.

2. Maninder Singh

Bengal Warriors had a disastrous PKL season, as they finished in ninth position, with only nine wins. However, captain Maninder Singh gave his all to maintain his status as one of the top raiders of the league.

The Season 7 champions struggled in both raiding and defence during the whole term. Apart from Maninder, only Ran Singh showed some promising signs on the mat for the team. The Warriors captain scored a total of 264 points in 22 matches, which includes 11 super raids as well. Maninder will look to continue his terrific performance in the upcoming season, as Bengal Warriors cannot afford to let him go considering their dependency on him.

1. Pardeep Narwal

Pardeep Narwal had a below-par season in the PKL 8. However, he still managed to register the most number of super raids during last season, which speaks volumes of his potential as a raider and the expectations that fans have from him.

The "Dubki King" started the season slowly, but got into his groove as the tournament progressed. He scored a total of 188 points last season, including a massive 12 super raids. Pardeep Narwal failed to replicate his previous performance, but still managed to take the team to the semi-finals. He will look to stamp his authority in the league next season as well.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.