Top five successful raiders in Pro Kabaddi League Season 5

These raiders were among the best performers for their respective teams.

The Pro Kabaddi League expanded from eight teams to 12 ahead of Season 5. The expansion meant more matches, more rivalries and more entertainment. It also allowed the star raiders to enhance their credentials and display their longevity.

We take a look at the top 5 raiders of Season 5 of the Pro Kabbadi League.

5. Monu Goyat (Patna Pirates) - 159

After an impressive debut for the Bengal Warriors in Pro Kabaddi League Season 4, Monu Goyat was picked up by Patna Pirates in PKL Season 5 to provide support to their star raider Pardeep Narwal. The Haryana native surpassed expectations by transforming himself into one of the top raiders in the league.

He scored 202 points at an average of 7.35 raid points per match, while notching nine Super 10s. But, his impressive stat was his do-or-die raid points. Goyat scored 45 points in do-or-die situations, the second-highest in the league. He proved to be a crucial support pillar, as Patna Pirates won their third straight PKL title and the former Warriors raider scored nine points in the finals against Gujarat.

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4. Rahul Chaudhari (Telugu Titans)- 159

Chaudhari was at his very best in a thrilling Pro Kabaddi League Season 4, despite the Titans falling short in the playoffs. He continued that form into PKL Season 5. With more teams and more opposition defenders to outwit, the Showman's elegance persisted. The Titans under-performed but not for lack of effort from Rahul Chaudhari.

He set the tone from the first match itself, scoring 10 points in a 32-27 victory over the Thalaivas. The UP native had 193 points with 8.36 raid points on an average every game. He also had eight Super 10s during the league phase. However, the Titans finished a disappointing 5th in Zone B and failed to qualify for the playoffs.

3. Ajay Thakur (Tamil Thalaivas) - 182

Season 5 saw the second coming of India's famous Kabbadi hero. After starting strong with the Bulls, Thakur had a below-par two PKL seasons with the Paltans. His move to the newly-formed Tamil Thalaivas did wonders. The Chennai-based team struggled for the majority of the season, but its lone fighter proved to be the still dependable Ajay Thakur.

The King of Indian Kabbadi registered 222 points at an average of 9.68 raid points a game. He also had 12 Super 10s, despite starting the season slowly. His Game 4 performance against Dabang Delhi was like going back in time, as he registered 14 raid points in a narrow defeat. Thalaivas finished bottom of Zone B, despite Thakur's heavy lifting.

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2. Rohit Kumar (Bengaluru Bulls) - 192

Season 3's Most Valuable Player was a forced to be reckoned with throughout Season 5. Alongside defenders Mahender Singh and Ravinder Paha, Rohit performed valiantly. He kept the Bulls in playoffs contention for majority of the season. The centre-piece of the Bulls produced some memorable performances, including a 32-point blinder against the UP Yodha in the last leg of the league phase. That performance marked the first time that any player had registered more than 30 points in a game.

Rohit had 231 total points at a 9.95 raid point average. This included 12 Super 10s. Despite Rohit's heroics, the Bulls failed to make the playoffs, finishing 4th in Zone B and missing out on third place by a mere three points.

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1. Pardeep Narwal (Patna Pirates) - 271

The dubki King had an outstanding Season 3 and 4, but his most dominant would prove to be Season 5. The Pirates' raider led in almost all raiding categories, as the Patna-based team finished second in Zone B, before embarking on a crazy playoffs run that ended with the rout of the Fortunegiants. The 38-55 win gave the Pirates their third straight title and a deserving one at that.

Narwal registered a league-high 369 points at a mind-boggling average of 14.19 raid points. He also had 19 Super 10s as well as a league-high 18 Super Raids. The increase in teams and matches just helped in showing the phenom that Pardeep Narwal was.

The Pirates finished second in Zone B, but led by Narwal they went on to dominate the playoffs for a third straight year. Pardeep scored 34 points (league record), 23 points and 19 points in three straight playoffs games to lead the Pirates to their third title in as many years.

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