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The 2019 South Asian Games is set to commence from 1st December and will go on until 10th December 2019 in Kathmandu-Pokhara, Nepal. India have been the most successful team at the South Asian Games, with nine gold medals in the Kabaddi event since 1985.
Former Indian captain Ajay Thakur was one of the notable absentees in the list of players selected for the coaching camp of the Indian team. The likes of Siddharth Desai, Rohit Kumar, Maninder Singh, and Surjeet Singh were some of the other prominent names who missed out as well.
According to sources close to Sportskeeda, a few of these players were excluded owing to the fact that they hadn't participated in the 66th Senior National Kabaddi Championship earlier this year. Since the performances in the Pro Kabaddi League do not count as the measuring stick for the selection, those who performed well at the Nationals were picked in the list of probables.
Thakur led the Indian team to gold at the 2017 Asian Kabaddi Championship and 2018 Kabaddi Masters tournament in Dubai, while he was also the captain of the Indian Team that lost in the semifinals of the 2018 Asian Games, losing out from a gold medal for the first time since the addition of kabaddi at the global tournament.
A new skipper with a revamped Indian Kabaddi team will look to clinch their 10th gold medal at the 2019 South Asian Games, as they begin their title defence after winning the last edition of kabaddi at the competition back in 2016.
Let's take a look at five players who could be trusted with the job of leading the Indian side at the 2019 South Asian Games.
#5 Pardeep Narwal
Pardeep Narwal has been a part of the Indian Kabaddi Team since the team won the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup. He was also a part of the gold-medal winning side of the 2017 Asian Kabaddi Championship and 2018 Kabaddi Masters Dubai.
Although Pardeep Narwal hasn't been up to his level in the international scene, he has performed better every time he has led the offense on his own. Pardeep as the captain for Indian Team could see him leading the raiding unit from the front.
The 'Record-breaker' in Pro Kabaddi League is the leading point-scorer in the league's history with 1,160 raid points to his name. Pardeep is the only raider to have crossed 1,000 raid points in PKL, scoring 42.44% of Patna Pirates' raid points in all seasons combined.
His solo efforts have the Patna Pirates to clinch the title in three editions of the league and was also the title-winning captain from season 5 of the PKL.
#4 Nitesh Kumar
Nitesh Kumar has emerged as a force to reckon with from the right corner position, and is the only player to have scored 100 tackle points in a single season of the Pro Kabaddi League. Nitesh has earned the reputation of being a big match player, with his precise tackling skills that involve the dives and ankle-holds.
Handed the reesponsibility of leading the U.P. Yoddha in PKL 7, Nitesh had a rough start to the season in the initial few games. However, he gained momentum with 75 tackle points in 23 outings as he spearheaded his side to 11 wins in the second phase to take them to the playoffs.
As a captain, Nitesh led from the front with his fearless tackles as the rest of the young defense unit stood tall and remained composed, aggressive against big-match players at the same time.
Nitesh represented Indian 7 in a friendly match against World 7 before the commencement of the seventh season of Pro Kabaddi. As a definite pick in the right-corner, Nitesh could be seen leading the side at the SAG 2019.
#3 Vishal Bhardwaj
Vishal Bhardwaj has been sensational for Telugu Titans in the past few seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League. He is known for his precise ankle holds, as he pulls the raider away from the midline with a sheer display of strength from the left corner. He has fared well and has emerged as the Titans' best defender in the past few seasons.
With 15 High 5s to his name, Vishal has 199 tackle points from just 60 matches at an average of 2.96 tackle points per game. He spearheaded the Titans' charge in season 5 with 71 tackle points that earned him the captaincy duties for the next season.
Vishal proved his worth as a composed skipper in the sixth season, controlling his defenders from making any advance attempts. With or without captaincy hat, he understands the opposition's tactics and been seen guiding his raiders against their opposition defenders.
His remarkable stint in the PKL earned him a call-up at the 2017 Asian Kabaddi Championship, where India won the gold medal. A perfect fit into the Indian Kabaddi Team as the left corner, this 22-year-old from Himachal Pradesh could be leading an experienced Indian side at the SAG 2019.
#2 Pawan Sehrawat
The 'Hi-Flyer' Pawan Sehrawat wreaked havoc in PKL 6, when his raiding heroics led the Bengaluru Bulls to a maiden title win. He has been a sensational raider, performing every single raiding move like the escape and running hand touch to perfection.
Pawan scored 271 raid points in the sixth season and with high expectations ahead of season 7, he led the Bulls' offense yet again. With Rohit Kumar missing out from a major chunk of action due to an injury mid-season, Pawan was asked to lead the side in the star raider's absence.
Contributing 64.92% of the raid points, Pawan went berserk in the offense single-handedly as he led an inexperienced Bengaluru Bulls unit to the playoffs for the second consecutive season. He finished his campaign with 346 raid points, apart from 18 Super 10s, and was a key member of the Bulls' campaign.
The captaincy stint certainly made Pawan a lot more mature, as he was seen pushing the youngsters to take up the charge and perform up to their full potential. Pawan also controlled the defenders from making any advance attempts, which helped the Bengaluru Bulls win close matches at the business end of the league.
Perhaps an assured name heading into the 13th South Asian Games, Pawan Sehrawat could be a perfect skipper in a newly revamped Indian Kabaddi team. His role of leading from the front could help India win their tenth gold medal with ease this year.
#1 Deepak Niwas Hooda
One of the most experienced campaigners in the Indian camp for South Asian Games 2019 is Deepak Niwas Hooda. Deepak debuted for the Indian Kabaddi team back in the 2016 South Asian Games, where the team won the gold medal. He has played a pivotal role in helping India to a gold medal finish at the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup, 2017 Asian Kabaddi Championship, and 2018 Kabaddi Masters Dubai.
Deepak has always looked to stick to strategies during his stint as captain in his Pro Kabaddi career. His first season as captain saw Puneri Paltan head into the playoffs in Season 5 and since then, Deepak has grown in terms of maturity with every season. He understands the value of his players and lets them perform freely without any pressure. He is a captain who believes in leading from the front.
With 856 raid points in Pro Kabaddi, Deepak is the third-best raider in the history of PKL. He has also proved his worth as a capable defender from the left cover position. Deepak's immense experience from the past could help a young Indian team clinch their 10th gold medal at the South Asian Games this year.
