Star Indian raider Pawan Sehrawat continues to don his jersey number 17 in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 2023. He has been seen carrying the same jersey number from the beginning of the PKL and it won't be any different this time around.
Pawan was roped in by the Telugu Titans for a jaw-dropping amount of ₹2.61 crore. With this epic bid, he also became the most expensive player in the history of the league. He is also leading the Titans in PKL 10.
Among various speculations, the reason for him sporting the jersey number 17 is quite simple, yet significant. The prolific raider took to his Instagram to reveal the reason behind his jersey number.
As it turns out, 17 was his roll number during his school days, which he has carried on to date, making it his jersey number. The number 17 highlights his journey right from his school days to the Pro Kabaddi League and the Indian Men's Kabaddi team.
One of Pro Kabaddi's most successful raiders, he has achieved many accolades in his career already. These include winning the PKL season 6 with the Bengaluru Bulls. Most recently, he captained the Indian Men's Kabaddi team that won the gold medal at the men's Kabaddi event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Pawan Sehrawat Pro Kabaddi League journey
Pawan began his PKL career in 2016 with the Bengaluru Bulls under Randhir Singh Sehrawat during the third season. He remained with the Bulls for the next season as well, before making his move to the Gujarat Giants for the fifth edition in 2017.
However, his stay with Gujarat was short-lived as he returned to the Bulls for season 6. It was in this season that the 'High-Flyer' lit the mat on fire and announced his arrival on the big stage. He amassed 282 points in the season, also winning the title with the Bulls.
The next two seasons saw his turn into a force to reckon with, as he scored 360 and 320 points respectively in seasons seven and eight. In a record-breaking move, he was bought by the Tamil Thalaivas for ₹2.26 crore ahead of the ninth season. However, a knee injury kept him out of action after the very first game.
He has already picked up 39 tackle points from four games this season for the Telugu Titans, including three Super 10s. The Titans skipper also crossed 1000 PKL raid points.