All you need to know about U Mumba’s raiding sensation Ajit Chouhan

U Mumba’s left raider Ajit Chouhan hogged the limelight with his outstanding performances in Pro Kabaddi Season 11.

The 19-year-old raiding sensation rose to prominence after he scored a Super 10 on his PKL debut against Dabang Delhi K.C. at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad in October 2024. However, Ajit’s brilliance went in vain as U Mumba succumbed to a 28-36 defeat.

Despite an early setback, Ajit continued to impress for U Mumba in PKL Season 11 as he took the Kabaddi mat by storm and left the defenders in the dust with his unmatched speed, strength and raiding skills.

Later in Match 37 of Pro Kabaddi Season 11, Ajit delivered a raiding masterclass against Patna Pirates in Hyderabad. The talented youngster scored a whopping 19 raid points to guide U Mumba to a thrilling 42-40 win.

U Mumba’s star raider once again grabbed the headlines against Haryana Steelers with 17 raid points at the Noida Indoor Stadium.

Meanwhile, U Mumba rode on Ajit’s brilliant raiding performances to qualify for the PKL Playoffs after three seasons. U Mumba’s noteworthy campaign ended with a 23-31 loss to Patna Pirates in Eliminator 2.

With an impressive 185 raid points in 23 matches, Ajit emerged as one of the standout raiders in Pro Kabaddi Season 11. He also concluded the season with 9 Super 10s, 9 Super Raids and 1 tackle point.

Ajit’s foray into kabaddi

Born on August 10, 2005, Ajit grew up in the Pune suburb of Thergaon. At the age of five, Ajit started training in kickboxing.

However, he later swapped kickboxing for kabaddi as his school friends were more interested in kabaddi. Ajit later began playing kabaddi with his classmates in seventh grade and took it seriously as a sport.

“Initially, I just wanted to play with my friends, but then I started to have fun. With time, I became more serious about the sport and got selected for the academy,” Ajit said in an interview.

Transition from defender to raider

Having started his kabaddi career as a left-corner defender, Ajit made his transition to a raider at the SAI Sports Academy in Thergaon in order to make use of his kickboxing expertise. He used his lower body strength and agility to adapt to his new position.

Ajit’s life changed after he impressed the state coaches and was selected for the 2021 Junior Nationals in Haridwar.

Pro Kabaddi breakthrough

He later produced spectacular performances to guide Maharashtra to third place at the 2022 Khelo India Games, which caught the attention of PKL side Gujarat Giants. Due to age restrictions, he was ineligible to play for them.

While he was released from the Gujarat outfit, Ajit continued his meteoric rise and helped Pune clinch the Maharashtra inter-state tournament earlier in 2024. His magnificent performances grabbed the attention of U Mumba, who drafted him in their PKL Season 11 squad under the New Young Players category.

Having made his mark in PKL Season 11, Ajit is a star in the making and will be one of the players to watch out for in the upcoming editions. Know more about his story in Pro Kabaddi’s 11th episode of Rise of a Star.

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