Anup Kumar: Biography and Life

Anup Kumar is one of the well-known players in the Pro Kabaddi League. During his career, he successfully led India to several World Cup wins and thus became an icon in the Pro Kabaddi League. Below, you can find all the ins and outs of Anup Kumar's career and life.

Anup Kumar Biography 

Anup Kumar (Kabaddi) is a popular name in the Indian Kabaddi sector. He played as a raider and doubled up as a cool-headed captain, which earned him the nickname “Captain Cool.”

As the former captain of the Indian national Kabaddi team, he is a smart and tricky player who knows how to outwit opponents. He has loads of moves, but his signature is the toe touch (tagging defenders using just his toes). He is also a pro at scoring bonus points, which is why fans call him “Bonus ka Baadshah” (King of Bonus). 

Anup Kumar’s Kabaddi Age42
Parents Ransingh Yadav, Ballo Devi
Height1.83 m
SportKabaddi 
Awards Arjuna Award for Kabaddi
PositionRaider
Country India 

Education

Before becoming a professional Kabaddi player, Anup Kumar received his early education in Haryana, balancing his studies with training. His journey shows how discipline in both education and athletics shaped his future career.

Family

A star in the world of Kabaddi, Anup Kumar was born on November 20, 1983, in Palra, a small village in Gurgaon. His father served as a Subedar Major in the Indian Army, while Anup grew up like most kids in Haryana, spending his free time on Kabaddi grounds.

Sports Career of Anup Kumar

Like many other youngsters, Anup Kumar also joined Kabaddi at an early age. He began engaging in his school tournaments. Later, he joined the local Kabaddi clubs and participated in local matches.

  • In 2004, the player made his first appearance in the Delhi Senior National team. It was one of the turning points for his career. 
  • In 2006, Anup Kumar advanced his career and began playing in international games, such as the South Asian Games in Sri Lanka. This perfectly illustrates his rapid rise from a local gamer to an internationally recognized competitor. 

In 2014, Anup became the captain of the U Mumba team and led the team until 2017. In 2018’s Season 6 auction, he was snapped up by Pink Panthers.

Anup Kumar Legend of the game Kabaddi

Stats, Raid Points & Net Worth

With 377 raid points from 938 raids, Anup built his reputation as one of the league’s leading raiders. The estimated net worth of the player is around $4 million, which is around ₹ 30 crores. 

Some of Anup Kumar’s (Kabaddi) stats are highlighted below:

Team SeasonMatchesSuper RaidsRaid PointsSuper TackleTackle Points
U Mumba1168155214
U Mumba21417417
U Mumba31337603
U Mumba414172110
U Mumba5212112423

Injury

Anup Kumar underwent surgery before season 6 because of his recurring ankle injury. However, his recovery was difficult, and he faced various challenges during his experience with the Jaipur Pink Panthers in season 6. He could not perform the way he wanted to, as the rehabilitation after the surgery wasn’t great and affected his games. After that, the player decided to step away and become a coach.

Anup Kumar Auction & Current Kabaddi Team

Anup spent five seasons with U Mumba before he moved to Jaipur Pink Panthers. His impressive achievements earned him the Arjuna Award in 2012. It is one of the biggest awards won by Anup Kumar (Kabaddi).  Overall, he racked up 596 points in the Pro Kabaddi League. These days, Kumar is serving as a Deputy Commissioner of Police in his home state of Haryana.

Anup Kumar’s Retirement

On December 19, 2018,  Anup Kumar made an official announcement about his retirement. Since then, he has not played for any team. However, he remains in the industry and owns his own Kabaddi school, the Freedom Fighters Kabaddi Academy.