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Having witnessed a monumental end to the spectacular second season of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi, let’s take some time out to reflect on the cream of the crop. The league is littered with talent, but picking a solid seven is hard.We’ve tried and put together a stellar team that could give any kabaddi side in the world a run for their money. In order to maintain equilibrium in this side, we have picked three raiders, one all-rounder and three raiders.Here is the team of the tournament:
#1 Anup Kumar
Every characteristic you look for in a captain is instilled in Anup Kumar. U Mumba’s captain and star raider never lets the pressure get to him and, more importantly, to his side. He lets his players shine on the mat which makes him an integral part of this stellar seven.
With so many star names, Anup Kumar would be an ideal leader to guide this top notch team to glory. While we are well aware of his raiding abilities, it’s his captaincy and technical inputs which make him intrinsic to his squad. Sandeep Kandola, the best defender in the league, has admitted that Anup was the toughest raider he faced this season.
He, who puts the team ahead of himself is default captain material, and Anup fits that bill perfectly.
#2 Rahul Chaudhari
The final piece in this jigsaw, Rahul Chaudhari has been a big part of the Titans’ success this season. Despite a relatively young squad, Rahul ensured that their lack of experience never showed on the mat. Last year’s top raider finished second on the raiding points list this time around.
Throughout the competition, Rahul was a constant threat and his unpredictable changes of direction during his raids posed quite a few problems for the opposition. Not even an International yet, Rahul will be itching to get his name in the Indian squad sooner rather than later.
#3 Kashiling Adake
Including Kashiling in this list was a no-brainer. The towering raider uses his body well to slip out of tackles. The fact that Kashiling has been aggressive has worked in his favour; every time he steps up to raid, he looks intent on winning a point in the least amount of time. This puts added pressure on the opposition’s defences, who know that Kashi will never settle for an empty raid.
Not many would have expected a man who used to work at a sugarcane factory to top the list of the most successful raiders this season. But the man from Sangli registered a whopping 114 raid points to his name, running away with the best raider award. The highlight of his campaign was the 24 points he bagged in a single game against the Telugu Titans.
#4 Sandeep Narwal
The 22-year-old has got enough in his armoury to not confine himself as merely a defender or a raider. This man is no one trick pony; he has pace to burn, and he expressed himself without restraint this season.
As a coach, you know exactly what you’re going to get from the Patna Pirates captain. Game in game out, he puts in one hell of a shift. At times he executes the perfect raid and at others he carries out his defensive duties with diligence. A team of seven Sandeep Narwals wouldn’t be a bad bet to place your money on.
#5 Mohit Chhillar
After the finals, the U Mumba captain Anup Kumar proudly declared that Mohit Chhillar has impressed him the most this season. The 22-year-old has held his own in a team that also boasts experienced campaigners like Jeeva Kumar and Surender Nada. The science graduate reads the game with precision and dives into his tackles with impeccable timing. He makes up for the lack of experience with his never say die attitude.
Picture this: it is 30-10 in U Mumba’s favour. Even at that comfortable position, you will always find Mohit looking to make another plunging tackle for his team, complacency completely out of the window. Such is the tenacity of the man from Nizampur.
#6 Manjeet Chhillar
The team could not have been complete without the captain of the Bengaluru Bulls, Manjeet Chhillar. The man from Nizampur was adjudged as the Most Valuable Player of season 2 after he guided the team to the finals, where they lost to U Mumba.
Manjeet was an integral cog in the Bengaluru Bulls machine. He had a major impact in both attack and defence as he amassed 67 raid points and 42 tackle points to lie in 6th spot in the top raiders list, as well as the top defenders list. The 29-year-old is considered to be the best all-rounder in world kabaddi.
#7 Sandeep Kandola
Do you remember what you were doing when you were 18 years old? It is unlikely you were playing a game of kabaddi with and against the best players in the game. The highly rated defender has been immaculate for the Telugu Titans this season. With 55 successful tackles to his name, Sandeep sits at the top of the tackles chart, surpassing some of the legends in the game.
Generally, 18-year-olds are regarded as fringe players, but not this man from Haryana. His fatal ankle hold has made him an indispensable component for the Titans. He seems to have a cool head on his shoulders and hardly gives away needless points. Expect much more from him next time around.
