Pro Kabaddi 2019: 5 players who impressed in their debut season

Mohammad Nabibakhsh proved to be the 'X-factor' for the Bengal Warriors
Mohammad Nabibakhsh proved to be the 'X-factor' for the Bengal Warriors

#4 V Ajith Kumar (Tamil Thalaivas)

V Ajith Kumar made the most use of the opportunities handed out to him
V Ajith Kumar made the most use of the opportunities handed out to him

In a team boasting of quality names such as Ajay Thakur, Rahul Chaudhari among others, outperforming the experienced names is always an arduous task. However, for V Ajith Kumar, his pace and ability to pick up points consistently helped him cement his spot in the Tamil Thalaivas side.

With Ajay Thakur missing a majority of the tournament, Ajith Kumar was handed an opportunity to impress with his skill, and he did not disappoint. He finished with 121 points from 19 matches at an average of 6.36 raid points per game, and his strike rate of 55.76% was more than that of Rahul Chaudhari's (40%), that only went on to add more emphasis on his ability to do well even under pressure.


#3 Vinay (Haryana Steelers)

Vinay is seen in action against Gujarat
Vinay is seen in action against Gujarat

One of the Haryana Steelers' finds of the tournament, young raider Vinay had a tremendous season on the raiding front as he played the role of a support raider to perfection throughout. Be it as a support raider for Vikash Kandola or Prashanth Rai, Vinay did not shy away from giving his best on the mat and that feature helped him notch up 129 points from 23 matches.

Such was the consistency shown by Vinay since the first match of the season that he was rewarded with a spot in the starting 7 for every game that the Steelers played this season, and he also finished with three Super 10s, including a memorable 14-point effort against the Bengal Warriors.

Having finished the season as the Steelers' second-best raider, it would not be a surprise if he is handed a lot more of the raiding duties in the next edition.

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