Rakesh Kumar Biography
Over his PKL career, Rakesh played 59 matches, accumulating a total of 260 points. He came from a small village, but in a region that is famous for being a “cradle” for the best Kabaddi players.
| Origin | Nizampur, Delhi, India |
| Family | Lives with wife & children |
| Date of Birth | 15 April 1983 |
| Age | 42 years |
| Height in feet | 5 ft 10 in |
| Weight | ~82 kg |
| Wife | Married |
| Team | India National Team, Patna Pirates, U Mumba, Telugu Titans (PKL) |
| Captaincy | Vice-Captain (India, 2007 World Cup), Captain (Patna Pirates, PKL Season 1) |
| Playing Role | All-rounder |
| Style | Aggressive raiding + strong defending; famous for “Lion Jump” |
Education
Rakesh Kumar (Kabaddi) went to school in his native village, Nizampur. Kabaddi was more of a lifestyle there. So, most of his focus was on sports education rather than schooling. He was successful, and in the late 1990s, while still in school, he was already taking part in Kabaddi tournaments.
Family
The player comes from Nizampur in Delhi, a village often called the Kabaddi nursery of India. All his family was somehow related to Kabaddi. Either players or a fan. Not surprisingly, they encouraged him to pursue Kabaddi seriously from a very young age.
Sports Career of Rakesh Kumar
Rakesh Kumar, as a Kabaddi player, began his professional career in 2003. Initially, he was part of the Indian national team. He made a significant effort that helped at the Kabaddi World Cups in 2004 and 2007.
In 2014, when the PKL was launched, Rakesh became the most expensive player in the first season’s auction and was signed by Patna Pirates. Rakesh Kumar later played for U Mumba and Telugu Titans. His PKL career has a strong record of over 250 points across 59 matches.
Stats, Raid Points & Net Worth
Rakesh Kumar played 45 matches, accumulating 179 raid points, which works out to an average of about 3.98 raid points per match. Here are some of Rakesh Kumar’s (Kabaddi) stats:
- Total Raid Points (PKL): 179
- Average Raid Points per Match: 3.98
- Super 10s: 3
- Matches Played (PKL): 45
Tackle Points: 58 (~1.29 per match), including 3 Super 10s
Injury
During his long career, he had several injuries. However, none of them were career-ending. For example, in Season 1 of the PKL in 2015, he pulled a hamstring during a raid against the Telugu Titans. He also had a severe back injury, but it was not serious enough to stop his activity.
Rakesh Kumar Auction
When the Pro Kabaddi League held its first-ever player auction in May 2014, Rakesh Kumar made it to the newspapers. The Patna Pirates franchise secured his services for an enormous sum for him – ₹12.80 lakh. It was the highest bid of that auction, and, basically, at that moment on PKL.
Why Rakesh Kumar Is Not Playing Today?
Currently, Rakesh Kumar is a Kabaddi coach. However, he still must choose a team to work with. Fans had hoped that his cooperation with U Mumba would make some changes in PKL Season 12. However, in March 2025, he and the team decided not to continue working together.