Ranking the 20 best kabaddi players in the world right now

Kabaddi is one of the most followed sports in India. As a result, many Indians have excelled in the game by winning multiple titles and making a fortune as pro players. Some of the best kabaddi players in the world also come from Iran and a few Asian countries.

India's Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) is the most popular and competitive kabaddi tournament globally. The league has hosted many top stars and legends. Another popular event is the Kabaddi World Cup, where players showcase their talents to the world.

Top kabaddi players in the world

Anup Kumar, Pardeep Narwal, and Fazel Atrachali are among the most famous kabaddi professionals. Their outstanding performances inspired many people to pursue the sport as a profession. Below are the top 20 from the world's best kabaddi player rankings in 2022.

20. Vikas Kandola (India)

Vikas is a young, energetic raider who plays for the Bengaluru Bulls in the Pro Kabaddi League. He has also featured for Haryana Steelers and Dabang Delhi. Kandola is known for his skill of running hand touch, which has made him excel in the sport.

19. Jang Kun Lee (South Korea)

Kun Lee is a South Korean professional kabaddi star and one of the best in PKL. He is the first overseas player to score 400 points in the league and one of the most successful foreign raiders. Lee also has two Asian Games medals (silver and bronze).

18. Sukesh Hegde (India)

The former Bengal Raider star also ranks among the greatest kabaddi players in history. He is one of the most experienced raiders in PKL. Hedge also helped Bengal Warriors win the league title. He is currently at Patna Pirates.

17. Nitin Tomar (India)

Tomar was part of the national side that won the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup. The left-raider has scored over 479 PKL points in his career. He is also known as the first person to captain UP Yoddhas in their debut season.

16. Siddharth Desai (India)

Siddharth Desai's swiftness and strong body have helped him become a better athlete. He has a record of scoring the fastest 50 points in PKL history. Siddharth is also the fastest rookie to reach 200 points in the league. He plays for the Indian National Kabaddi Team and Telegu Titans in the VIVO Pro Kabaddi League.

15. Monu Goyat (India)

Besides ranking among the best kabaddi players in India in 2022, Goyat also serves as an Indian Army Junior Commissioned Officer. Goyat also won a bronze medal with the national team in the 2018 Asian Games. He has scored over 500 points in his career.

14. Kashiling Adake (India)

Kashiling last featured for Bengaluru Bulls in season 6. He is one of the most famous athletes in Maharashtrian. Adake played for Dabang Delhi, U Mumba and Bengaluru Bulls in PKL. He is known for his frog jump style, which made him one of the fastest raiders in the league.

13. Maninder Singh (India)

Maninder Singh is the fastest player to reach 500 points in the PKL. He led Bengal Warriors to their maiden league trophy in season 7. Singh was also named team captain for the 2021-22 season. His signature move is running hand touch.

12. Ravinder Pahal (India)

Pahal is popularly known as the hawk because of his vicious ankle hold. He played for Dabang Delhi before joining the Gujarat Giants in season 8 of the PKL.

11. Manjeet Chhillar (India)

Manjeet Chhillar won three consecutive national championships (2010, 2011, 2012) with Bengaluru Bulls. He is among the best all-rounders in PKL. His defensive prowess made it difficult for opponents to score.

10. Rishank Devadiga (India)

The former U Mumba star ranks among the top 10 kabaddi players in the world. Devadiga won silver in the inaugural season of PKL. He has also represented the India national team and won gold in the 2018 Dubai Master Cup.

9. Fazel Atrachali (Iran)

Fazel is an Iranian kabaddi star and one of the best defenders in the PKL. He won two consecutive league titles with U Mumba (2015) and Patna Pirates (2016). The Iranian star also won gold in the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. He is known for his magical ankle holds and powerful blocks. Besides, Fazel won two "Best Defender" awards in the league (2016, 2019).

8. Naveen Kumar (India)

Naveen's speed and consistency on the court have earned him praise from fans and experts. He is one of the youngest promising stars in India. Naveennis is also known for his incredible agility when performing running hand touches.

7. Pawan Sehrawat (India)

Pawan Sehrawat led the Bengaluru Bulls team to the league title with his outstanding raiding power. He scored 346 raid points in season 7 after winning the Most Valuable Player of season 6. Pawan also finished as the top raider in the South Asian Games, where India scooped gold.

6. Ajay Thakur (India)

Ajay has played over 120 matches and scored slightly more than 1,600 points in his career. He won his first gold at 19 in the 2014 Asian Games and another in the 2013 Asian Indoor and martial games.

5. Sandeep Narwal (India)

Sandeep is nicknamed the beast because of his ability to smash opponents with his powerful blocks. He featured for the India national team and lifted the 2016 world cup. In addition, the younger also bagged gold in the 2016 South Asian games. Sandeep Narwal also donned Patna Pirates' jersey in the league's first three seasons and won the title in season 3.

4. Deepak Niwas Hooda (India)

Hooda's success as an all-rounder makes him one of the top kabaddi players in the world. He also won the PKL title in season 1 with Jaipur Pink Panthers. Deepak won the 2016 world cup with India and two gold medals in the South Asian Games (2016, 2019). In addition, he also clinched a gold medal in the 2018 Dubai Kabaddi Masters.

3. Rahul Chaudhary (India)

Chaudhary's unique raiding skills make him stand out among other stars. He converted from a defender into one of the best raiders in KPL. He is the second player in the league's history to cross 1000 points. Rahul won the 2016 gold medal with India in the South Asian Games. He was also part of the 2016 world cup winning team.

2. Pardeep Narwal (India)

Narwal holds the record for the most raid points in league history. He is the first player to score 1000+ points in PKL. Many consider him the best kabaddi player right now. During his time at Patna Pirates, Pardeep won three consecutive league titles alongside two most valuable players awards (2016, 2017). He currently plays for UP Yoddha and the Indian team. So, who is the best kabaddi player in the world?

1. Anup Kumar (India)

Kumar is a retired player considered one of the top icons in the sport. He began his international career in 2006 and helped India win the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup. Anup is well-known as a bonus point expert. He played for U Mumba and Jaipur and even captained his nation to two Asian Games victories. In 2014, he won the PKL Most Valuable Player award. He retired in December 2018, ending his 15-year career.

Who is the best kabaddi raider in the world?

According to the latest PKL season 9 ranking, Dabang Delhi's Naveen Kumar leads in raid points after ten matches. Naveen has 126 points, followed by Bharat Naresh of Bengaluru Bulls with 112 points. Here are the top five raiders as of 4 November 2022.

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Who is the best kabaddi player in Punjab?

Maninder Singh is the top-ranked kabaddi player from Punjab. He was born in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, where he grew up before becoming a national icon. Maninder has proved to be one of the best and fastest raiders in the PKL.

The best kabaddi players in the world have achieved a lot in their careers and inspired many young people to pursue their dreams. However, the sport is yet to be included in the Olympics since it is not played in most countries.

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Player	Team	Games	Raid points
Naveen Kumar	Dabang Delhi	10	126
Bharat Naresh	Bengaluru Bulls	10	112
Narender Hoshiyar	Tamil Thalaivas	9	99
Rakesh Sungroya	Gujarat Giants	9	98
Arjun Deshwal	Jaipur Pink Panthers	9	91