The announcement of the Indian team for 2016 Kabaddi World Cup turned out to be quite a strenuous task for the selectors, given the embarrassment of riches provided by the Pro Kabaddi League. However, it can be safely said that the best squad of 14, to a lot of extent, was chosen in the end. Ajay Thakur landed a spot in the Indian team on the basis of his vast experience and pedigree, something he would like to use during the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup.
Ajay Thakur, despite his huge frame and towering presence on the mat, is one of the least aggressive athletes one can ever come across. Despite being a star player, Thakur, who plays for the Puneri Paltan in Pro Kabaddi League, remains as rooted to the ground as anyone you will ever see. This could be one of the reasons why one did not see him lose his cool during Pro Kabaddi 2016 Season 4, which did not turn out to be great for him.
The Puneri Paltan raider was 11th on the leaderboard of raid points for Season 4 and managed on 63 points, which are not too good considering his high standard. Thakur, known for his trademark “frog jump,” played second fiddle to Deepak Niwas Hooda, who stunned everyone by scoring a colossal 126 points during the course of the season, during which Puneri Paltan fell short in the semi-final.
Ajay Thakur was chosen over the likes of Rohit Kumar, Kashiling Adake and Rishank Devadiga for the Indian team, and he would be under some sort of pressure to justify his selection. One of the reasons why Thakur might have been a little off colour is due to a possible injury, something which his national captain Anup Kumar told Sportskeeda in an interaction a few weeks ago.
There are high expecations from Thakur and Anup Kumar believes that the tall raider can deliver. “Ajay had a quiet Pro Kabaddi 4 due to an injury and he has shown great quality in the camp. I am sure he will be an asset for the team if he gets selected for the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup,” Kumar told Sportskeeda at the official launch of the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup in New Delhi.
In a team that is full of superstars, creating your own space can be a little tough and Thakur will need to bring his “A” game if he wants to warrant a place in the starting line-up. Anup Kumar is not known for talking anything that does not make sense and his faith in Thakur can only mean that the latter is more than equipped to perform in the biggest kabaddi tournament on earth.
Another thing that worked in his favour was Thakur’s vast international experience and performances for India over the years. However, past credentials can only help you to land a place in the team but not retain it. Thakur, with his exceptional abilities, will be looking to overturn a poor Pro Kabaddi Season 4 to help bring home the Kabaddi World Cup for India.
