Top 10 PKL stars to watch out for at 71st Senior National Men's Kabaddi Championship

Pawan Sehrawat and Arjun Deshwal are among the top PKL stars who will be in action in the National Men’s Kabaddi Championship.

The 71st edition of the Senior National Men’s Kabaddi Championship will be held from February 20 to 23 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium at Cuttack. The Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India will be responsible for the conduct of the tournament. 30 teams have been divided into groups and will compete to get their hands on the trophy.

The Yuva Kabaddi Series threw some exciting talent and the talent scouts will look to find them to pick in the upcoming Pro Kabaddi League auctions. While the scouts will be waiting for the new talent, the fans will be eager to see their PKL stars in action. Here are the top 10 Pro Kabaddi League stars who will be in action in the Nationals.

Also Read: Top five active players with most PKL trophies

10. Rahul Sethpal

Rahul Sethpal has been honing the limelight for all reasons. Firstly, he helped the Haryana Steelers lift their maiden Pro Kabaddi League trophy in December 2024. Then in the 38th National Games, he was involved in an altercation with the referees.

Arjun Deshwal’s touch on a defender in the final minutes of the game eliminated Services from the semi-finals. He would want to set things right and what better than winning the Senior Kabaddi Nationals.

9. Sunil Kumar

One of the most respected players in the Kabaddi circuit is Sunil Kumar. His all-round abilities are always an asset for any team and it was a surprise that he was released by Jaipur Pink Panthers ahead of season 11. It was U Mumba‘s opportunity to seize as they grabbed him with both hands.

They also roped in his cousin Parvesh Bhainswal as the cover duo helped the season two champions make it to the playoffs after three seasons. Sunil will look to repeat the impact as he gears up to play for Indian Railways.

Also Read: Top three captains with most wins in PKL history

8. Abinesh Nadarajan

Sunil will also have the support of a certain Abinesh Nadarajan, who is becoming one of the most consistent defenders in the country. The boy from Tamil Nadu has been performing brilliantly for Puneri Paltan in the last four seasons of the PKL.

Abinesh played a key role in Paltan’s Season 10 victory. He would want to win the Senior Kabaddi Nationals which could put him in the reckoning for the Indian team call-up. It will be interesting to see how Sunil handles them as both prefer the right cover position.

7. Devank Dalal

Throughout the season 11 of the Pro Kabaddi League, one name stood out in all conversations. Devank Dalal, who became only the fourth player to score 300 Raid points in a PKL season will again garner attention during the senior nationals.

He will be playing alongside Naveen Kumar for Services and fans would be eager to this young and agile combo against the defenders. The PKL 11 Raider of the season would be banking on his confidence to perform for his team.

Also Read: PKL: Top 10 defenders with most tackle points in Pro Kabaddi League history

6. Nitin Rawal

The PKL 11 saw Nitin Rawal unleash his full defensive capabilities as he was the sole performer for the Bengaluru Bulls. He was rock solid at the left corner and topped the defenders’ charts at the end of the season.

The all-rounder will play for Indian Railways, a team full of quality defenders. His corner duo would be Shubham Shinde who also had a brilliant PKL. With the women’s team winning the trophy, it would be icing on the cake if the Men’s team could end the competition with the trophy.

5. Sachin Tanwar

Sachin Tanwar‘s performance will be one to watch out for in the competition having had a disappointing season 11 for Tamil Thalaivas. The Do-or-Die specialist’s moves will be keenly watched by Sanjeev Kumar Baliyan who has taken over the coaching duties of Tamil Thalaivas.

He has already made his moves by releasing three defenders. Sachin’s performance will affect the coach’s decision. Rajasthan will depend on the tall Raider to deliver the goods which he is capable of.

4. Gaurav Khatri

Chandigarh will start as one of the favorites for the tournament as their defense will be led by Gaurav Khatri from the right corner. While the Raiding duties are handled by Pawan Sehrawat & Co., Gaurav will look to shrug off the finals loss they suffered against UP in the National Games last month.

The defender has been in fine form and will be a force against opposition Raiders with the likes of Vishal Bhardwaj and Gurdeep Sangwan providing him the support cast.

Also Read: PKL 11: Top 10 raiders with most Super 10s in Pro Kabaddi 2024

3. Naveen Kumar

Naveen Kumar will return to action after missing the National Games last month. The team missed his presence in the National Games as they lost to Arjun Deshwal’s brilliance in the semis and failed to defend the title. On the individual front, Naveen has been in and out of the team due to injury and he will be looking to prove his fitness and his form is good enough to derail the opposition.

2. Arjun Deshwal

Arjun Deshwal will look to continue his golden run as he will be representing Uttar Pradesh in the competition. The Raid Machine is one of the fittest players and is performing well despite the competition. Last year saw him lead Jaipur Pink Panthers to the playoffs, the fans were entertained by him in the national games last month as he led UP to the title. The team will be expecting nothing less for a talented Raider.

Also Read: PKL: Pawan Sehrawat’s top five Lion Jumps in Pro Kabaddi League history

1. Pawan Sehrawat

Pawan Sehrawat will be leading the Chandigarh team in the National competition. While no one has doubted his abilities as a Raider, the Indian skipper has to prove his leadership credentials having failed in the knockouts in last year’s Nationals, PKL 11, and the recently concluded 38th National Games where he lost in the finals.

The Hi-Flyer would want to rally his troops which has a rich blend of youth and experience that can go all the way to the title.

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