Nitesh Kumar, the rising star of Tamil Thalaivas, grabbed attention with his strong defensive performances in Pro Kabaddi Season 11.
In his second season, the skilled left corner defender turned the mat into a stronghold, leaving raiders worried with his excellent tackles throughout the season.
Nitesh stepped up in key moments, helping keep Thalaivas competitive in the recently ended season.
With 77 tackle points in 22 matches, Nitesh was named the Best Defender of Season 11. He also led the league with 8 High 5s, along with 3 Super Tackles and 2 raid points.
Nitesh delivered some of the season’s best tackles against top players like Pardeep Narwal, Maninder Singh, Ajit Chouhan, Neeraj Narwal, and Akash Shinde.
Sadly, despite his great performances, Nitesh’s efforts couldn’t help Thalaivas reach the PKL playoffs, as they finished ninth on the points table.
Nitesh’s Journey Into Kabaddi
Nitesh first became interested in kabaddi during his school days after seeing some of his classmates play the sport. He started playing on a mud surface.
“It all began when I was in school. I saw many of my friends playing kabaddi, and I thought I should give it a try. As I played more, my interest grew. That’s when I started watching Pro Kabaddi, and it made me love the sport even more,” Nitesh said in an interview.
From Yuva Kabaddi to Pro Kabaddi League
In 2022, Nitesh caught the eye of Pro Kabaddi scouts during the Yuva Kabaddi Series. Playing for the Periyar Panthers, the young left corner defender impressed with 30 tackle points in just eight matches during the Monsoon edition.
In 2023, Tamil Thalaivas picked him under the New Young Player (NYP) category. He made his Pro Kabaddi debut in Season 10, where he scored 4 tackle points and made 1 Super Tackle.
By 2024, Nitesh had made a big name for himself. He became the third-best defender of Season 11 with 77 tackle points, just behind Mohammadreza Shadloui (82) from Haryana Steelers and Ankit Jaglan (79) from Patna Pirates.
At just 20 years old, Nitesh has already proven his skills in defence and is now considered one of the most exciting young talents to watch in future Pro Kabaddi seasons.
