Naveen Kumar creates history, becomes second player to win back-to-back MVP awards

VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 8 came to a close on Friday with Dabang Delhi triumphing over Patna Pirates by the slimmest margin to win their maiden PKL crown. 

At the end of the final, players were presented with awards for their outstanding effort over the course of the season. Here’s a round-up of the winners:

MVP – Naveen Kumar, Dabang Delhi

The MVP doubled-up on Friday, as Delhi’s Naveen Kumar won the Most Valuable Player award for the second year running. The mercurial raider scored 207 points in 17 matches to help Delhi go one better than they did in Season 7. 

Naveen became only the second player after Pardeep Narwal (Season 4 and 5) to win award twice and in consecutive campaigns.

Raider of the Season – Pawan Sehrawat, Bengaluru Bulls

Bengaluru Bulls skipper Pawan Sehrawat successfully defended his Best Raider crown and won the award for the second season in a row. Sehrawat finished the campaign as the league’s leading point scorer with 18 Super 10s and 304 raid points. 

The Bulls captain became the second player, after Pardeep Narwal, to break the 300-raid point barrier in two different campaigns.

Defender of the Season – Mohammadreza Chiyaneh, Patna Pirates

For the second season in a row, an Iranian Left Corner took home the Best Defender award. Patna Pirates’ Mohammadreza Chiyaneh couldn’t cap off a spectacular season by leading the Pirates to the title but finished the season as the league's leading tackle points scorer.

The rookie set a new PKL record with 10 High 5s and his tally of 89 tackle points is the second-highest in a single campaign behind Nitesh Kumar’s 100 in Season 6.

Best New Young Player – Mohit Goyat 

Puneri Paltan’s Mohit Goyat was named the best New Young Player for an outstanding debut season in PKL Season 8. The young raider was the Paltan’s linchpin on offence alongside fellow rookie Aslam Inamdar. Goyat finished the season with 159 raid points in just 21 matches. He also contributed heavily in defence as evidenced by his 28 tackle points. 

But where Goyat really stood out was in Do-or-die situations. He scored a league-high 49 raid points in Do-or-die raid attempts, which showcases his immense mental fortitude and skillset.