Top 5 Indian Kabaddi Legends of All Time

One of the most exciting games on the planet, Kabaddi has enthralled fans for many decades. Among the key contributors to the game’s popularity include some very talented Kabaddi players, who went on to become legends owing to their unparalleled performance.

If you love the game of Kabaddi, you would certainly want to know more about the greatest players in the history of Kabaddi, and these days many Kabaddi betting sites give you the platform to try your luck.

Towards that end, here’s a list of the top 5 Indian kabaddi legends of all time.

1. Harjeet Brar Bajakhana

A great man has ever played kabaddi like no other. Since ancient times, the culture of Kabaddi in the rural regions of Haryana and Punjab. This Kabaddi legend of India was known as the Father of Kabaddi in India and was born in 1971. An 8th grader Brar was so adept at the game that he traveled to some states to reach east of India and win the Guwahati tournament.  He made his international debut in 1994 in Canada. He rose from the mud to rule the carpet, making Brar’s personality and exemplary Kabaddi play a worldwide icon.

When he won the 1996 World Cup in Liberty, Brar received $ 1 million for his single raid in the final. The biggest soul of India’s Kabaddi players was lost when he and 16 other Kabaddi compatriots were killed in an unfortunate road accident on April 16, 1998. Brar’s legacy lives on with the game he loved so much.

2. Anup Kumar

This former India captain and top kabaddi legend is widely regarded as the god of Kabaddi. During his 12-year career, Kumar has won numerous accolades and has taken the game to new heights. Kumar, a passionate Kabaddi player since school age, was given the opportunity to represent India in 2006. After that, international trophies found a single destination – India.

To this day, his name is associated with the tremendous achievement of the 2016 World Championship title. In addition to international accolades, Kumar founded the game nationally. Although nationwide competitions have existed since the 1990s, only PKL has made it a proud sport in Kabaddi. In any case, Bonus ke Badshah, captain of U Mumba, won in 2015 in terms of PKL results. Nevertheless, GOI recognized his sportiness as early as 2012 and was awarded the Arjuna Prize.

3. Ajay Thakur

Ajay Thakur is by far the most successful player in Kabaddi today. The Ice Man of Kabaddi, India, whose cool and serene leadership has laid the foundation for our nation to rule in one of the most aggressive sports of all time. The champion raider represented India seven times, where his team won six gold and one bronze.

Ajay, the cousin of Kabaddi star Rakesh Kumar, also wanted to represent India. However, his leadership skills on the carpet surpassed Kabaddi’s talent. As the main raider for the national team, Ajay collects points like no other. When India won the 2016 World Cup, Ajay was chosen as the man of the tournament. He likes to pull out opponents and gives the longest possible reach to the centerline. In PKL, Ajay is one of the best Kabaddi players in India to have played all season. His contribution was recognized in 2019 when he was also awarded the Arjuna Prize and Padma Shri.

4. Rakesh Kumar

Rakesh Kumar became one of the famous Kabaddi players in India. He has had a passion for the sport since he was a schoolboy. Kumar ran a successful career in representing Delhi nationally before ranking among India’s best Kabaddi players. After joining the adult national team in 2003, Kumar demonstrated his skills on the carpet as versatile. He was a member of the 2004 and 2007 World Cup-winning national teams, one of India’s best players in Kabaddi. He then became a significant member and won several major tournaments with the Indian team.

Kumar won the highest bid in the starting season of PKL – ₹ 12.8 million. Patna Pirates had its first franchise, later signing for U Mumba in 2016 and Telugu Titans next year. Kumar is currently the coach of the Haryana Steelers and remains one of the few Indian Kabaddi players to receive the Arjuna Award. In 2011, he was honored by the Indian government.

5. Rahul Chaudhari

Born in Uttar Pradesh, Rahul Chaudhari started playing in Kabaddi when he was 13 years old. He started his career in Kabaddi in 2010 and quickly became a popular Kabaddi player in India. Rahul Chaudhari previously played as a defender for the Indian national Kabaddi team but later became a Raider. He was a member of the Telugu Titans team for the first six seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League and later certified for Tamil Thalaivas.

Rahul Chaudhari was named the best raider of Season 4 of the Pro Kabaddi League. One of India’s best Kabaddi players, he was a member of the Indian national Kabaddi team, which won gold medals at the 2016 South Asian Games.