PKL 2019: 3 foreign raiders to watch out for

The sport of Kabaddi has undergone a revolution in the past 5 years. Though the sport originated in India, a lot of foreign countries have produced great Kabaddi players thanks to the success of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL). Players from countries like Iran and South Korea have got a lot of exposure in PKL which has helped them achieve success at the international level.

South Korea had defeated India in the opening match of Kabaddi World Cup 2016 whereas Iran ended India’s reign in the Asian Games. In this year’s PKL, the fans will see an American player, Duet Jennings, play Pro Kabaddi for the first time. Telugu Titans have recruited the American all-rounder for season seven. There is also a Sri Lankan raider named Milinda Chathuranga in the Jaipur Pink Panthers roster apart from the large number of South Korean and Iranian players in the league.

The foreign raiders have a unique skill set which is often different from the Indian raiding technique.

Thus, they bring something extraordinary to the table. Today, we will have a look at the 3 foreign raiders to watch out for in PKL 2019 -

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#3 Dong Geon Lee - U Mumba

Dong Geon Lee has a good amount of PKL experience under his belt

South Korean raider, Dong Geon Lee, played exceptional Kabaddi in the previous seasons of PKL. He made his PKL debut in season 5 for Tamil Thalaivas. He played 17 matches for the Chennai-based franchise where he aggregated 29 raid points. In season 6, he improved his record while playing for Gujarat Fortune Giants.

Lee scored his maiden Super 10 in season 6 and in total he got 31 raid points. U Mumba does not have Siddharth Desai this year, so they will have high expectations from their Korean raider Dong Geon Lee in season seven.

#2 Jang Kun Lee - Patna Pirates

20 जुलाई के इंतज़ार में...⏰#PirateHamla pic.twitter.com/mTdk1cYLWR

— Patna Pirates (@PatnaPirates) June 25, 2019

Former Bengal Warriors star, Jang Kun Lee, had made a name for himself by playing Pro Kabaddi for the Kolkata-based franchise. The kick specialist has the experience of playing in 90 PKL matches, where he has scored 411 raid points at an average of 4.56 points per game. He has scored 9 Super 10s in his career. The third season was the best for the Korean star, as he finished fifth in the raiding charts with a tally of 79 raid points.

Jang Kun Lee holds the record for the most points by a foreign player in the PKL. He has joined the Patna Pirates franchise in season seven. The fans are excited to see the pair of Jang Kun Lee and Pardeep Narwal play as a duo for the Patna franchise.

The three-time champs also have an Iranian star named Mohammad Esmaeil Maghsoudlou Mahalli who will make his PKL debut in season 7.

#1 Abolfazl Maghsodloumahali - Gujarat Fortune Giants

No days off! 💪How are you spending your Sunday? 🤔#GarjegaGujarat #VivoProKabaddi #LePanga pic.twitter.com/sm9aGiRbUt

— Gujarat Fortune Giants (@Fortunegiants) June 30, 2019

The reason everyone will have their eyes on Abolfazl Maghsodloumahali is the presence of Manpreet Singh in the Gujarat Fortune Giants camp. The charismatic coach has nurtured players like Pardeep Narwal, Sachin Tanwar, Sunil Kumar, Parvesh Bhainswal and many more. Abolfazl has an immense amount of potential, but no team has made full use of his services.

He has played 41 PKL matches, but he is yet to record his first Super 10. His average is 3.39 raid points per match, but we can expect his numbers to improve this season. Maghsodlou will have the support of Sachin, Gurvinder Singh and GB More in the Gujarat raiding department.

Gujarat will frequently use the Iranian raider in ‘do-or-die’ raids because he knows how to deliver in crunch situations.

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Which foreign raider promises to take PKL 2019 by storm? Let us know in the comments box below.

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