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The Asian Kabaddi Championships 2017 are a few days away and on Saturday, the 14-member Indian team was announced that will travel to Iran for the event. Earlier this month, a 39-member probables squad was called up for a training camp in Sonepat, Haryana and after two weeks of it, the final list of names is out.
Ajay Thakur will lead a raiding-heavy side at the Championships and Bengal Warriors star Surjeet will be his deputy. The squad is packed with some of the best talent the Pro Kabaddi League has to offer. However, there are a number of players, who starred for their teams in the latest edition of the league, but find themselves out of the final team.
Here are the five biggest names!
#5 Kashiling Adake
The man from Maharashtra is one of the most prolific raiders in the short history of the Pro Kabaddi League, having played all five seasons. After four editions at Dabang Delhi, the lanky raider was bought by U Mumbai for Season 5, where he showed flashes of his brilliance.
He ended up with a total of 122 points in 20 games for the side from Maharashtra, after struggling for fitness in between. While he may not have recaptured the form that made him the league's top raider in the initial editions, he could have still been a handy pick, given his experience and ability to take the game away from the opposition.
#4 Vikas Kandola
His Pro Kabaddi Season 5 record stands at a meagre 58 point in nine matches, but fans are well aware of the threat possessed by the youngster, who was one of the shining lights of the PKL before being forced out of action due to injury.
While he was on the mat, he was easily the best player for a star-studded Haryana Steelers side, with his supreme agility and ability to skip away from tackles at lightning speeds. Steelers coach Rambir Singh Khokar even stated that the 19-year-old has the potential to become the best player in India and his inclusion in the final squad would have done wonders for him in terms of exposure.
#3 Rishank Devadiga
The raider has been a regular fixture on top of the charts across the five seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League and was part of the U Mumba side that reached three finals in the first four seasons. He was bought by Season 5 newbies UP Yoddha for Rs 45.50 lakh and starred for them in their run to the playoffs.
He scored a total of 170 points in 21 matches in the latest edition and produced one of the moments of the season when he racked up a total of 28 points in a single game against the Jaipur Pink Panthers. He has displayed a remarkable level of consistency over the years and would have surely been a valuable addition to India's star-studded raiding lineup.
#2 Jaideep
The Services man raised eyebrows in the Pro Kabaddi auction as he was snapped up by the Patna Pirates for a whopping Rs 50 lakhs. After a slow start to the campaign, he found his feet and went on to play a major part in the Pirates' successful title defence.
The left corner man formed a deadly combination with Jawahar on the right and his ankle holds proved to be lethal and among the best in the league. While the India side has a stalwart on the left in the form of Surender Nada, Jaideep would have fit well as a backup.
#1 Monu Goyat
The most surprising exclusion from the list, Monu Goyat had a truly incredible Pro Kabaddi Season 5 campaign as he led from the front and took the Patna Pirates to the title victory. Behind Pardeep Narwal, he played the role of the second raider to perfection and ended up with 202 points in 26 games.
His composure levels are among the best in the league and his expertise in do-or-die situations played a major role in his side's success. An India call-up would have been the icing on the cake for what has been an incredible few months for the raider.
