Pardeep, Surender and Sachin declared the season’s best performers

Three months of intense action, high-voltage matches and varying emotions culminated with defending champions Patna Pirates winning their third VIVO Pro Kabaddi title on the trot to complete a stupendous hat-trick. Patna blew away Gujarat Fortunegiants with a comprehensive 55-38 win at Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium on Saturday to add another glorious feather to their already glistening crown.

The season saw both the experienced stamping their class and the youth making a big impression. Here’s a look at the players who were awarded by VIVO Pro Kabaddi and Mashal Sports for being the front-runners in their respective departments.

Best Raider of the Season: Pardeep Narwal (Patna Pirates)

Total Raid Points: 369

No amount of adjectives will be sufficient to describe the class of Pardeep Narwal. Definitely the best raider the game of kabaddi has ever seen in recent years, this 20-year old phenomenon has not only ensured that his team retains the trophy for the second time running but has also etched his name in the record books with his unstoppable brilliance on the mat. He finished the season with a record 369 raid points, studded with 271 successful raids, 19 Super 10s and 18 super raids.

Best Defender of the Season: Surender Nada (Haryana Steelers)

Total Tackle Points: 80

Haryana’s captain displayed great form this season having picked up a hefty tally of 80 tackle points, studded with 74 successful tackles and 9 High 5s. His partnership with Mohit Chhillar made Haryana’s corner combination one of the best in the league and one which every opposition raider was wary of. Nada’s ankle holds are considered to be the toughest to wiggle away from. Not just that, his calm and tactical captaincy for the debutants has also been lauded by all his teammates, including coach Rambir Singh Khokhar.

Best Debutant of the Season: Sachin (Gujarat Fortunegiants)

Total Points: 173

If there is one player who has taken everyone by surprise this season, that will be Gujarat’s young revelation Sachin. He has left the likes of Sukesh Hegde and Rakesh Narwal far behind to emerge as Gujarat’s main raider and one of the youngest powerhouses of the league. The 18-year-old has etched his name in the mind of every kabaddi fan and ends the season with 173 points (159 raid and 14 tackles). With such a massive impact in his debut season, the sky is the limit for Sachin.