Kabaddi
Manoj Bhagavatula, ESPN 5y

PKL 6 Power Rankings: Pawan Kumar remains top, Ajay Thakur back in top 10

Welcome to the final set of ESPN's Power Rankings for the league stage of the Pro Kabaddi League. The rankings are based on seven parameters, each carrying a unique weightage..

(Round 4 = November 25 to December 27, 2018 (number in brackets indicates the change in position from the last round)

#10 Vikash Khandola - 89.42 points (-1)

Raider, Haryana Steelers

Due to injury, Khandola could only play nine games last season, but was excellent in the matches he played. This year, he has matched, if not exceeded, that performance, scoring 177 points in 22 matches. However, Haryana finished bottom of Zone A due to various reasons, including Monu Goyat not finding his form and the absence of regular captain Surender Nada.

#9 Naveen Kumar - 90.70 points (-1)

Raider, Dabang Delhi

The youngest player this season, 18-year-old Naveen is one of the most impressive debutants this year. With 156 points from 20 matches, he has made a vital contribution in helping Delhi make the playoffs for the first time in six seasons. While the jump he employs to escape defenders is the most dramatic-looking move in his repertoire, his most effective move is the running hand touch.

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#8 Ajay Thakur - 91.82 points (new)

Raider, Tamil Thalaivas

Individually, the Thalaivas captain was almost as good this year as he was last season, with 204 points to 222 in 2017. Unfortunately, the same can be said about the Thalaivas, who have finished bottom of their zone for two straight years now. Despite bringing in the likes of the experienced Jasvir Singh and Sukesh Hegde, they to be far too reliant on Thakur.

#7 Rahul Chaudhari - 92.78 points (+3)

Raider, Telugu Titans

Chaudhari racked up a respectable 166 points in 21 matches to finish ninth on the list of total points scored. However, playing in a team heavily reliant on him and competing in Zone B, which included Patna, and the final playoff spot was undecided until the last league game, it was a case of so close, yet so far for the Titans' playoff hopes.

#6 Maninder Singh - 99.67 points (new)

Raider, Bengal Warriors

A mainstay of the Warriors' raiding efforts along with South Korea's Jang Kun Lee, Maninder has already improved upon his points tally from last year. Currently sixth in the total points tally, Maninder could easily jump to fourth place with at least 10 points in the eliminator.

#5 Deepak Niwas Hooda - 102.66 points (+1)

All-rounder, Jaipur Pink Panthers

Hooda has had an improved season personally, scoring 22 more points than he did last year, in two fewer matches. Despite his excellent form, he received insufficient support from his teammates at Jaipur, with the team failing to get going this season finishing above only Haryana in Zone A.

#4 Sachin - 107.90 points (+1)

Raider, Gujarat Fortunegiants

After an impressive PKL debut for Gujarat last year, 18-year-old Sachin has continued to improve. He has surpassed his points tally from last season in four fewer games and, as Gujarat's top raider, will be crucial to their hopes of making a second straight final.

#3 Pardeep Narwal - 123.87 points (=)

Raider, Patna Pirates

On the basis of Patna's absence from the playoffs and relative to his staggering 369 points last year, Pardeep has underperformed this year. But he's still managed 233 points. In the absence of Monu Goyat, that Patna came so close to the playoffs was because of Pardeep's brilliance.

#2 Siddharth Desai - 124.34 points (+2)

Raider, U Mumba

A candidate for this season's best debutant, Desai, who became the fastest to 50 raid points, sits third in the list of points scored, behind only Pawan Kumar Sehrawat and Pardeep. His ability to get the team off to a fast start will be crucial to U Mumba's hopes of making the final, along with the form of captain and defender Fazel Atrachali.

#1 Pawan Kumar Sehrawat - 127.41 points (=)

Raider, Bengaluru Bulls

Leading the league in total points, raid points, super raids and within touching distance of Pardeep in successful raid count, it is little surprise that Sehrawat has topped our rankings yet again as the blistering form with which he began this season shows no signs of letting up. All Bengaluru need him to do now is keep this up for at least two more games.

(All stats courtesy Kabaddi Adda)

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