#3 Somwarpet V Sunil – Forward
Coach Roelant Oltmans had meant business when he emphasised on the vitality of striking a healthy balance between the spirited youngsters and the Indian team’s veterans ahead of the Rio Olympics 2016. India’s excellent showing at the 2016 Champions Trophy can hence be directly attributed to his endeavours.
Ever since the responsibility of vice-captain was bestowed upon SV Sunil’s shoulders, the gifted attacker has shown much more consistency with the stick when he’s out there in national colours. London was no exception, where the Karnataka forward started making an impact, from the very first game.
Re-establishing his name amongst the fastest players to adorn the game today, Sunil forayed into the final third with lightning fast sprints that left defenders with little choice other than to watch helplessly or cut him out illegally and picking up suspensions in the process. He delivered game-changing assists against Germany, Great Britain and Korea, besides scoring one himself to put India in the driver’s seat against the East Asian country that later proved crucial in effecting a maiden 2nd-place standing for his country.
