Journalism of Courage
The 2017 edition of Pro Kabaddi concluded with Patna Pirates winning their third consecutive title. The fifth edition started with four new teams and three of them managed to progress into the playoffs. But it was Gujarat and Patna who made it to the final. Pardeep Narwal, who finished as the top scorer in season 5, single handidly powered Patna Pirates to 55-38 win over Gujarat. Here we look at the players who played key roles in the fifth edition of PKL.
Pardeep Narwal, Patna Pirates: Patna Pirates captain Pardeep Narwal has led from the front. He has guided Pirates to their third consecutive final. With 379 raid points in 26 games, the 20-year old Pardeep leads the chart. He has 19 Super 10s to his name in the fifth edition of the league.
Rohit Kumar, Bengaluru Bulls: Rohit Kumar, 'One Man army' for bengalur uBulls struggled to get support from his teammates for most of the season. In the beginning Bulls were off to a positive start before a disappointing home leg. Fan of Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, Rohit has scored 219 raid points in 22 matches. Bulls captain has 12 Super 10s to his name.
Ajay Thakur, Tamil Thalaivas: Ajay Thakur, India's World Cup top performer, lead Tamil Thalaivas in their debut season. After starting the season with a defeat against Telugu Titans, the Ajay Thakur-led side finished at the bottom of Zone B table. However, the 30-year old star raider concluded his PKL season with 213 raid points, where he also scored 12 Super 10s.
Maninder Singh, Bengal Warriors: Raider Maninder Singh was the star performer for Bengal Warriors. With 190 points, Maninder finished his PKL season at the fourth position.
Rahul Chaudhari, Telugu Titans: 'Poster Boy' of pro Kabaddi, Rahul Chaudhari became the first raider to score 500 points in the beginning of the league. However, his personal accolade couldn't help Titans replicate their last seasons success. In 21 matches, Rahul managed just 180 points. Rahul has eight Super 10s to his name in 21 matches.
Monu Goyat, Patna Pirates: Monu Goyat played second fiddle to captain Pardeep Narwal. In Pardeep's absence, Monu gave some clinical performances and helped Patna to their third consecutive Pro Kabaddi title. In 25 matches, he scored 182 points.
Deepak Hooda, Puneri Paltan: Deepak Niwas Hooda was the key play in Puneri Paltan's successful season in Pro Kabaddi 2017. In 24 matches, the Pune captain scored 172 points.
Nitin Tomar, UP Yoddha: Nitin Tomar, most expensive player of Pro Kabaddi season 5, managed just 167 points in 20 matches. A lot was expected from the UP Yoddha captain but he couldn't perform in big games and was a big dissapointment.
Rishank Devadiga, UP Yoddha: Rishank Devadiga supported Nitin Tomar and helped UP Yoddha qualify for the playoffs in their maiden season. In 21 matches, he managed 165 raid points.
Sachin Tawar, Gujarat Fortunegiants: Sachin Tawar, who is playing his first Pro Kabaddi season, made the most of the opportunities that came in his way. Sachin played in the shadows of Fazel, Abozar and delivered when the team asked for. He has scored 149 points in 24 games.
