Nitesh Kumar is an Indian professional Kabaddi player born on 12th August 1997. Born into a family of Kabaddi enthusiasts, he was introduced to the sport by his father. His father is a well respected and experienced Kabaddi coach who was Nitesh's first mentor. Nitesh started playing from a very young age under his father's coaching and soon weent on to become one of the top players in his age group.

Nitesh Kumar Pro Kabaddi Career

Nitesh was a part of the ‘Future Kabaddi Heroes’ program of the PKL.  By the 3rd phase of FKHP,  he was added into the New Young Player's group for VIVO Pro Kabaddi League’s fifth season auctions. Owing to his previous performances outside Pro Kabaddi, he was drafted into PKL and was bought by UP Yoddha in PKL Season 5 Auction.

In his debut season itself, he showcased his capabilities and made sure everyone took notice of UP Yoddha’s new strong right corner defender. He made his debut against Telugu Titans and went on to score a High 5 in his first-ever PKL match. He was the top UP Yoddha defender that season and scored 47 tackle points.

During Pro Kabaddi Season 6, Nitesh became the first player to score 100 tackle points in one season as the youngster finished as the top defender of the league. His record remains intact with no other player coming that close to scoring 100 tackle points in one season. He also scored eight High 5s that season to lead the way there as well. For his fantastic performance, he was named as the 'Best Defender of the Season'.

Nitesh Kumar UP Yoddha Captain

Nitesh was seen as a real threat by the raiders and that made him one of the difficult defenders to pass through. He had grown a lot in his first two seasons and was honored with the captaincy position of UP Yoddha in PKL Season 7.

Not only did he successfuly lead the team to the play-offs, Nitesh finished as the third best defender of the season with 75 tackle points from 23 matches, which included 8 Super Tackles and 6 High 5s.