Rahul Chaudhari, an Indian professional kabaddi player, is known for his excellent raiding skills and has established himself as a prominent figure in the sport. He played Pro Kabaddi League representing Telegu Titans, Tamil Thalaivas, Puneri Paltan, and Jaipur Pink Panthers.
Wiki/Biography
Rahul Chaudhari was born on Wednesday, June 16, 1993 (age 30 years; as of 2023) in Jalalpur Choiya, Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, India. His zodiac sign is Gemini. When Rahul was 13, he and his brother began training in Kabaddi even though their parents were against it and wanted them to focus on school. Rahul started as a defender and was selected to train at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in Gandhinagar. He eventually became a skilled raider.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 6′ 0″
Weight (approx.): 80 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Brown
Body Measurements (approx.): Chest: 42”; Waist: 34”; Biceps: 16”
Family
Parents & Siblings
His father’s name is Rampal Chaudhari.
Rahul Chaudhari with his father
His mother’s name is Yashoda Devi.
A picture of Rahul’s mother
Rahul has an elder brother named Rohit Kumar. He also played Kabaddi and represented his village team in local tournaments.
Wife & Children
He married a pilot from Gujarat named Hetali Brahmbhatt on December 8, 2020.
Rahul with his wife Hetali
Religion
Rahul Chaudhari follows Hinduism. 1
Rahul Chaudhari in a temple
Career
Position: Raider
Jersey Number:
League: Pro Kabaddi League, Indian Nation Kabaddi Team
Debut: 2009
Teams Played For: Telugu Titans, Tamil Thalaivas, Jaipur Pink Panthers
Rahul went to a trial conducted by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) without telling anyone in 2009. He was chosen for the trials and was offered a place in the training camp in Gandhinagar.
Rahul Chaudhari at SAI
With the support of Ajay Thakur, he also found a job at Air India and played for their team.
National Career
Pro Kabaddi League
In the 1st season of the Pro Kabaddi League, he was signed by Telegu Titans and was ranked the second player with 157 raid points and 10 tackle points in 14 matches. He remained with the team for the next 5 seasons, he was made captain of the Telugu Titans in Season 5 and finished the campaign with 193 points.
Rahul playing with Telugu Titans
In season 7, he played Pro Kabaddi League representing Tamil Thalaivas and set a record of scoring more than 700 points as a raider, and became the first player to do so. In subsequent seasons, he showcased his skills while playing for different teams, including the Puneri Paltan and Jaipur Pink Panthers.
International Career
Rahul Chaudhari played a major role in winning a gold medal for India at the Asian Beach Games in 2014 and was also part of the winning team at the 2016 South Asian Games. He became more prominent in the team after showcasing his abilities at the Kabaddi World Cup in 2016. He continued to impress and was included in other teams such as the Asian Kabaddi Championships in 2017, the 2018 Kabaddi Masters team, and the team that won a bronze medal in the 2018 Asian Games.
Rahul with teammates at World Cup 2016
Rahul with teammates at Kabaddi Master Dubai 2018
Rahul at Asian Games 2018
Playing Statistics
Raiding
Matches Played: 139
Total Raids: 2198
Raid Points: 1040
Avg. Time on Mat (%): 47.05
Avg. Out Rate: 22.46
Avg. Strike Rate (%): 46.21
Effective Points: 604
Tackling
Matches Played: 139
Main Tackles: 319
Tackle Points: 97
Avg. Time on Mat (%): 44.87
Avg. Out Rate (%): 70.14
Avg. Strike Rate (%): 40.15
Avg. Success Assists (%): 18
Honours & Achievements
Honours
- Laxman Award by the Uttar Pradesh Government in 2017.
Rahul’s post about winning Laxman Award
Achievements
- 2nd most-successful raider during the 2014 Pro Kabaddi League (season 1)
- Most Successful raider during the 2016 Pro Kabaddi League (season 4)
- Player of the series during the 2016 Pro Kabaddi League (season 4)
- 1st player to score 700+ points in PKL
Medals
- 2014 Asian Beach Games, Phuket Gold
- 2015 Senior Nationals Kabaddi Championships for UP Gold
- 2016 Kabaddi World Cup Gold
- 2016 South Asian Games Gold
- 2017 Asian Kabaddi Championships Gold
- 2018 Kabaddi Masters Dubai Gold
Controversy
Problems with the Asian Kabaddi Championship Team Selection
In 2023, Rahul said he wasn’t happy with how the team for the Asian Kabaddi Championship was picked. He believed that the right players didn’t get chosen for this big tournament. 2 He said,
The process for selecting the India squad for an event is very simple – players who perform in the national championships get selected for camp and players who perform well in the camp and trials are selected for the team. But this time, I am unhappy with the selection because some of the players have been selected for the team without even playing in the national championship and this is unfair to other players and the rules of the sport as well. For example, this year the Uttar Pradesh team won gold at the national championships and not even a single player from that team was selected for the Indian team. My question to the authorities is that the players of the team that won after beating all the other teams have not been selected and the defeated players are in the Indian team. The selection this time has been on the basis of the own choices of selectors and not following the criteria.”
Bike Collection
He owns Royal Enfield.
Rahul’s bike Royal Enfield.
Car Collection
He is the owner of expensive cars like the Audi Q7, Scorpio, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Alpha Mini Clutch, Toyota Fortuner, and Mahindra Arjuna Tractor.
Rahul with his Audi Q7
Rahul’s Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
Rahul with his Alpha Mini Clutch
Rahul Chaudhari with his Toyota Fortuner
Rahul Chaudhari with his Mahindra Arjuna Tractor.
Tattoos
Rahul has a huge Hanuman tattoo on the upper part of his arm.
Rahul’s Hanuman Tattoo
He also has a small tattoo on his forearm. The tattoo is not too visible.
Rahul Chaudhari’s arm tattoo
Favourites
- Food: Dal Makhani and Paneer
- Car: Ferrari
- Movie: Jeet (1996)
- Actress: Shraddha Kapoor, Hema Malini
- Kabaddi Player: Ajay Thakur, Rakesh Kumar
- Kabaddi Team: Telugu Titans
- Kabaddi Move: Running and Touch
- Social Media App: Instagram
- Sports Player: Virat Kohli
- Game: PubG
- Sport: Volley Ball
Salary
In the 2022 auction, Rahul was sold at Rs. 10 Lakh for season 9 of Pro-Kaabaddi. 3
Facts/Trivia
- When Rahul was a kid, he was obese. When his parents took him to a doctor, he said he wouldn’t live long due to his unusual weight.
- During the interview, he disclosed that in his initial days, his family didn’t support him for playing kabaddi and he would also get beaten occasionally by his father.
- He has earned various names throughout his career like Raid Machine, Showman, and Poster Boy.
- He participated in the All India Income Tax Department tournament and won gold in the finals that took place in Bengaluru against the Pune IT Department.
- Rahul considers his teammates Rohit Baliyan and Sukesh Hegde as one of his best friends.
- Rahul Chaudhari has been featured in various music videos like ‘Dil Mera Dil’, ‘Banno’, and ‘Khaab’.
- He has also appeared on Roadies and the Kapil Sharma show.
Rahul Chaudhari in Kapil Sharma Show
Rahul Chaudhari in Roadies
- Rahul has been featured in commercials for companies like Biryani by Kilo.
View this post on Instagram
- He is a Brand Ambassador of Vision 11.
Rahul Chaudhari as the brand ambassador of Vision 11
- Because of a huge fan following, Rahul has a lot of names that his fans like to call him. Some of them are Raid Machine, Show Man, and Poster Boy. 4
- He also has a thriving community of Instagram followers as he became the first kabaddi player ever to get 1 Million followers on the app.
- In an interview, Rahul said that if he was not a kabaddi player, he would have become a farmer or gotten into the Indian army.
- The Indian skipper has often been seen cycling and hitting the gym to keep himself fit. He also likes to swim.
Rahul Chaudhari cycling
Rahul Chaudhari working out in the gym
Rahul Chaudhari swimming with his friend
- Rajul has a great fitness level and he revealed that he can do 100 pushups in one go!
- Rahul is also passionate about horses and loves to do horse riding.
Rahul Chaudhari while horse riding
- He is an animal lover and has a pet dog.
Rahul Chaudhari with his pet dog
- The Kabaddi player harbors a deep love for traveling with his spouse. He ensures to share snippets of his travels on his social media platforms, keeping his followers informed.
- Rahul does not drink regularly but likes to indulge once in a while.
Rahul getting alcohol served
