The game of kabaddi has its origins in ancient India. Although it’s an exciting sport to watch, Indian kabaddi stars are regrettably still relatively unknown, unlike our admiration for cricket players. A few fundamental rules govern kabaddi. The game lasts 40 minutes with a 5-minute intermission, with 7 players on each side. Here, we discuss the top 10 kabaddi players from both India and outside, including Pardeep Narwal, Manjeet Chhillar, and many more, who have never missed an opportunity to display their talent and exceptional skills on a global stage.
Top 10 Kabaddi Players in India and Abroad
Pardeep Narwal
His birthday is February 16, 1997. He presently plays for the Indian national kabaddi squad and is originally from Haryana. In the Pro Kabaddi League, Pardeep is a player for UP Yoddha (PKL). Right now, he is one of the most well-known Kabaddi players in India. In the 2017 Pro Kabaddi League season, this 25-year-old assisted Patna Pirates in winning the championship for the third time. He emerged as that season’s top raider.
Pardeep is also known as the “Dubki King,” a raider technique in which he ducks low to the ground before propelling himself upward to break free of the opponent’s hold and score some points. One of his greatest career moments was his eight-point raid against the Haryana Steelers in the fifth season of the Pro Kabaddi League.
Manjeet Chhillar
Because of his exceptional all-around abilities, Manjeet Chhillar, one of the greatest kabaddi players, is known as the “Man Army.” Additionally, he competed for the Indian Kabaddi squad in the 2014 Asian Games, where they took home the gold. His defining move is the block, in which the defender stops the raider’s path between him and the half line by positioning himself in the raider’s path.
Fazel Atrachali
One extremely dangerous Kabaddi player to watch out for is this Iranian defense. He can quickly take down any raider with his skill. His rise to fame came from his participation in U Mumba’s season two PKL championship win. Dash, his aggressive signature technique, involves a defender racing across the mat to force the raider out of the border with his.
Anup Kumar
He participated in the Indian Kabaddi team’s 2010 and 2014 Asian gold medal-winning campaigns. The PKL Team Puneri Paltan’s kabaddi coach is Anup Kumar. He is well-known for his tactics and led the PKL team to victory in the first season with a score of 169 points. He is well-known for his “toe touch” maneuver, which entails extending his leg and using only his toes to contact the defender’s feet.
Sandeep Narwal
Sandeep began his career as a defender before honing his raiding skills and developing into an all-rounder. With more than 200 points in both raid and tackle categories, he is one of the rare all-around players. He uses the same trademark move as Manjeet Chillar, which is Block.
Meraj Sheykh
Meraj, who plays for Dabang Delhi in the Pakistan Super League, is unquestionably one of the best all-rounders. His ability to raid and tackle is something to be wary of. He is an all-around player from Iran who has captained the Iranian kabaddi team in several competitions. His trademark move is a scorpion kick, in which the raider suddenly raises his leg to contact the defender in the same manner that a scorpion might sting an attacker by turning towards the midline.
Nitin Tomar
This 26-year-old raider gained notoriety as he single-handedly saved India from defeat versus Iran in a crucial raid during the Kabaddi World Cup 2016. With a total of 177 points, he led his team, Up Yoddha, in scoring during the fifth season of Pro Kabaddha. His trademark technique is the “running hand touch,” which involves abruptly darting in the direction of the defender and quickly stretching his entire body to make contact with them with his hands. He plays in the Pakistan Super League for Puneri Paltan. At the Pro Kabaddi League Season 5 auction, he was sold for 93 lakhs to UP Yoddha, making him the most expensive player sold.
Rohit Kumar
Rohit got off to a great start in the PKL. He finished with 109 points for the Patna Pirates. He became well-known after defeating Up Yoddha in season 5 and scoring 32 points all by himself. The raider’s defining technique is the “frog jump,” in which he leaps off the ground to touch the defenders, landing outside of their grasp, and then returns to his side.
Jang Kun Lee
In Pro Kabaddi, Jang, a Korean Raider, holds the record for most points accrued by an international player. He has led the Republic of Korea’s Kabaddi squad in several international competitions. His defining technique is the “Kick,” which entails touching the defender as soon as possible by extending the leg rather than the hand.
Ajay Thakur
It is unnecessary to introduce the former India Kabaddi Team captain. His incredible performance was a major factor in India’s triumph at the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup. He was that tournament’s best raider. At the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, his expertise also assisted India in winning a gold medal. He has almost 14 years of experience, and Kabaddi fans have always found him to be entertaining to watch. His go-to maneuver is the frog jump.
Also read, 10 Interesting Facts about Kabaddi
