The Clutch Gene: Who were vivo Pro Kabaddi’s most prolific raiders in the final 10 minutes?

Performing in high-pressure situations takes skill, grit and character. Only the finest can rise to the occasion and deliver when the stakes are as high as they could be. The final quarter in a kabaddi match can turn the tide in any direction and it is during this crunch phase, where the game’s finest make a name for themselves with their performances.   

Here, we take a look at the raiders who were the cream of the crop when it came to raiding in the final 10 minutes of matches in vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 7 -

1. Pawan Kumar Sehrawat – 112 Raid Points

The Bengaluru Bulls ace, who led the league with 346 raid points in Season 7, was also the most prolific raider in the final 10 minutes of matches over the season with 112 raid points in just 144 raid attempts at an exceptional strike rate of 77.77.

Sehrawat’s performance in the final 10 minutes usually had a telling impact on Bengaluru Bulls’ fortunes. The raider scored four or more raid points in the final 10 minutes of eight of the team’s 12 victories in Season 7.

Bengaluru Bulls also had a 100% win record when Sehrawat managed 10 or more raid points in the final 10 minutes of a match.

2. Pardeep Narwal – 101 Raid Points

In Season 7, Pardeep Narwal created some more history as he became the first man in vivo Pro Kabaddi to record two campaigns of over 300 points.

The Patna Pirates skipper scored 302 raid points and off those, a 101 came in the final 10 minutes of matches. While he was exceptional almost every time he took to the mat, Pardeep raised his game a tad higher in crunch time. The two-time MVP recorded a raid strike rate of 77.09, which was higher than his overall season strike rate of 66.66. Pardeep also led the league with four Super Raids in the final 10 minutes of matches over the season.

Patna Pirates won just two matches when Pardeep scored fewer than four points, further illustrating how crucial his performances in final 10 minutes were to his team.

3. Naveen Kumar – 87 Raid Points

Dabang Delhi K.C.’s Naveen Kumar embarked on an unprecedented run in Season 7 that saw him score 21 successive Super 10s. The raider finished the campaign with 301 raid points and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player for leading Dabang Delhi K.C. to the vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 7 final.

Naveen was spectacularly consistent throughout the season and it was no different in the final 10 minutes of his team’s matches. Off his 87 raid points he scored in the clutch, 68 came in a winning cause for his side.

He also recorded a mammoth strike rate of 80 in Do-or-die situations in the final 10 minutes of matches over the season, showcasing his mettle in the toughest situations.

4. Siddharth Desai – 68 Raid Points

Telugu Titans’ Siddharth Desai followed up his sensational debut campaign in Season 6 with another outstanding showing in Season 7, scoring 217 raid points in 22 appearances.

Desai was highly reliable and prolific in the final 10 minutes of the matches of his maiden campaign and that continued to be the case in Season 7 as well. His tally of 68 raid points in the final 10 minutes in Season 7 was eight better than his tally the previous campaign. His strike rate of 67.32 in the final 10 minutes was only bettered by Pawan Sehrawat and Pardeep Narwal.

Desai also scored three of his seven Super Raids in the final 10 minutes of matches; a tally bettered only by Pardeep.

5. Abhishek Singh – 55 Raid Points

Raider Abhishek Singh enjoyed a career-best campaign in vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 7 as he led U Mumba’s raiding unit with 162 raid points in 21 appearances.

In most matches, Abhishek was his team’s primary raider in the final 10 minutes of their matches and he did not disappoint, scoring 55 raid points in the crunch period. Abhishek thrived in high-pressure situations and his tally of 12 Do-or-Die raid points in the final 10 minutes of matches was bettered only by Puneri Paltan’s Pankaj Mohite, who had 14.

Of his 55 raid points in the final 10 minutes, 31 came in victories for U Mumba.