"I have won everything in life except a Pro Kabaddi trophy" - Rahul Chaudhari eager to prove his worth as 'Poster Boy' of PKL

One of PKL's biggest star attractions, 'Poster Boy' Rahul Chaudhari will yet again be the cynosure of all eyes when he steps out onto the mat for the Jaipur Pink Panthers on the opening day of Pro Kabaddi 2022 in Bengaluru today.

While many would expect the excitement to be rooted firmly in Chaudhari's mix of pace and skill on the mat, the attention will, in reality, be zeroed in on the ace raider's raiding form in PKL.

'Showman' Chaudhari's form has quite a few question marks lingering over it, particularly after PKL 8, where he played 7 matches for Puneri Paltan and accounted for just 13 points - a far cry from the standards he has set in Pro Kabaddi.

Yet, on the back of a gold medal-winning campaign at the National Games as Uttar Pradesh captain laced with a fresh air of confidence, Chaudhari is eager to prove his worth as one of PKL's best raiders once again.

"Last season was terrible time for me, but it's over and here I have a chance to make a new start. I captained UP to a gold medal in the National Games, I enjoyed my game and I am confident of carrying that form into PKL. I am ready to do whatever it takes to prove myself and show that I am still capable of doing special things in Pro Kabaddi," Chaudhari told Sportskeeda in an exclusive chat.

"Learning a lot from Arjun Deshwal and Ajith Kumar" - Rahul Chaudhari ahead of Pro Kabaddi 2022

Chaudhari has featured in every single season of Pro Kabaddi since the inception of the league in 2014, and while he's expected to pass on a skill or two to the younger generation in the Pink Panthers' unit, the star raider is keen to re-discover himself through tips from his teammates.

"I am learning a lot from the younger raiders in the team. In earlier seasons I wasn't picking up too many bonus points, but I am learning that from Arjun. In Ajith's case, he has the fantastic ability to pull off subtle hand touches that the defenders don't even feel, I am trying to do that too."

"See this is my 9th season in PKL, I've played for so long that people know my main skill. For me to sustain, I am trying to learn things to make my game better. This season we will work together as a team in Jaipur Pink Panthers and hopefully lift the title."

As for the personal goals that he wishes to achieve in Pro Kabaddi 2022, Chaudhari has his eyes set on one primary motive. For 8 seasons of PKL, he hasn't had an opportunity to lay his hands on the coveted Pro Kabaddi trophy, but this season, he's determined to give his all in converting that dream into reality.

"I have won all medals in life except the Pro Kabaddi trophy. I hope and pray to the gurus and gods that we win the trophy this season. I want to also prove that I was never a bad player, I don't know why I was benched but it's all in the past. I want to give more than my 100% percent and guide Jaipur to the PKL title."

Winners of the inaugural Pro Kabaddi season, Jaipur haven't managed to get across the finish line for the past 7 seasons, but with an exciting squad this time around, it wouldn't be wise to write them off as potential champions.

Pro Kabaddi 2022 action starts on 7th October with a triple header in Bengaluru, and the Jaipur Pink Panthers open their campaign against the UP Yoddhas at 9.30 PM today.