Naveen Kumar - The Naveen Express

Naveen Kumar is one of the most talented Raiders in the country. He is also the first player born in 2000 to feature in Pro Kabaddi League. Since his first appearance, the 23-year-old has smashed several records and has made a name for himself. Naveen Kumar, who plays for Dabang Delhi KC in the Pro Kabaddi League, is the fastest and youngest player to reach 500 raid points in the league's history.

With several amazing numbers to his name, Naveen Kumar is all set to feature in the upcoming Asia Kabaddi Championships for the Indian team which will take place in Busan, South Korea, from 27th to 30th June. He will hold the key for the defending champions.

Age and Background

Born on 14th February 2000, Naveen Kumar is from Sultanpur, Haryana. He comes from a humble background and his father is a driver. The Indian Raider got introduced to the sport by his grandfather, a former state-level wrestler. He made heads turn during the school games, followed by Junior Nationals. He hasn't looked back since then.

Role and Playing Style

Naveen Kumar plays as a raider and is one of the best in the Indian team. He is known for his speed and precision. Naveen Kumar is often appreciated for his tactics. Naveen Kumar's favourite move is running hand touch, which requires a lot of speed and skill besides high fitness levels. He also loves to execute toe touch and frog jump to keep the defenders guessing.

In an interview, Naveen Kumar said that he wants to learn more moves and is inspired by Ajay Thakur's style of play.

Domestic Teams

In domestic teams, Naveen Kumar has been a part of the Services team. Naveen Kumar was playing in a local tournament when he grabbed the eyes of the coach. He was immediately asked to attend the trials and got selected.

Current Teams

Naveen Kumar represents Dabang Delhi KC for the past few seasons now. Dabang Delhi KC picked him in the PKL 6, and since then, he has been retained by the team and rightly so. Naveen Kumar is currently the captain of the Dabang Delhi team.

Price in PKL

Naveen Kumar began his PKL career with Dabang Delhi KC when the franchise bought him for INR 6.60 Lakhs. Since then, he got retained by the franchise. In the 7th season, his price was INR 30 Lakhs. The PKL 8 saw him fetch INR 90 Lakhs, and in the last season, Naveen Kumar's price increased, and he was retained for INR 1 Crore by Dabang Delhi KC. Considering his demand, his price is expected to increase in the upcoming season.