New Delhi, Jan 18 (IANS): After a two-year hiatus, Kabaddi is once again enthralling the fans across India. The game played by a number of Indians in their childhood needs tact and skill as raiders and defenders of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 8 have been showcasing it in every match.

In this season, Monu Goyat of Patna Pirates, Pardeep Narwal of U.P. Yoddha, Rishank Devadiga of Bengal warriors, Pawan Sehrawat and Chandran Ranjit of Bengaluru Bulls, Abhishek Singh of U Mumba, Vikash Khandola from Haryana Steelers, Naveen Kumar of Dabang Delhi KC and Maninder Singh from Bengal Warriors are the few names who have been displaying their impeccable skills on the ground and enthralling Kabaddi fans.

This season Pirates have a plethora of champions who are complementing each other in every match played so far. They have made a formidable team to compete with the best teams in the ongoing Kabaddi league.

Coach Ram Mehar Singh's three-time champions have been very impressive throughout the season, largely due to their synergy in all disciplines of the matches. Their raiding trio of Monu Goyat, Sachin, and captain Prashanth Rai have picked up valuable points and assisted each other which has made it difficult for opponents to plan their defense. Pirates are having a successful run on the mat and seem they are locking their position for the finals.

The importance of raiders in the Kabaddi can be understood by Naveen Kumar's absence from the Dabang Delhi KC lineup in the match against Bengaluru Bulls. The absence of Naveen cost dearly as Bengaluru Bulls decimated a hapless Dabang Delhi KC 61-22. Delhi looked toothless in attack without Naveen, but their defence managed to restrict Pawan Sehrawat who scored an outstanding 27 points from 27 raids.

The credit for the growing popularity of this sport goes entirely to the defenders and raiders from leading teams like Pirates and others.

Like other raiders, Manu Goyat, Prashant Kumar Rai, and Sachin have proved time and again how important they are for the Pirates. Each and every match, the trio have something different to outsmart their opponents.

Bar the blemish against UP Yoddha, Pirates have been perfect in this Season. They have won important games this season, and have won four on the trot.

The Pirates' all-hand-on-deck approach to defense has led to them leading the league in every defensive statistical category. A stellar raiding trio and a fearsome defense have made Pirates one of the teams to beat this season and it will take a near-flawless performance from a team to sink the Pirate ship.

The raiders Monu, Prashant and Sachin with the help of defenders like Sajin C, Mohammadreza Shadloui, Neeraj, Sunil, and Shubham have been outstanding in all the matches, grabbing vital points for the Pirates.

A well-balanced Pirates have been dominating in this season and it could be possible that with the help of trio raiders and well-performed defenders they will lift the coveted trophy one more time.

In this season, playoffs have qualifiers and eliminators. It will be exciting to see top qualifiers in season 8.