Top 10 stars left out of Indian men's kabaddi team for Asian Games 2026 ft. Naveen Kumar

The Kabaddi events at the Asian Games 2026 are scheduled to take place from September 21 to 26.

The Indian men’s kabaddi team for the Asian Games 2026 has been announced. After several coaching camps involving some of the best players from across the country, 12 best players have been finalised to represent the nation at the Asian Games.

India have always been dominant at the Asian Games, winning 8 gold and 1 bronze. They missed out on the gold medal only once in history when they lost to Iran in the semi-final of the 2018 Asian Games. Iran went on to win the gold after defeating South Korea in the final.

However, the Indian team made a comeback at the 2022 Asian Games, defeating Iran 33-29 in the final and reclaiming their dominance. Now, they want to continue their dominant run, but the rivals are even stronger than before.

The Indian management faced the problem of having an abundance of resources; they had so many players that selecting only 12 felt unfair to those who failed to make the cut.

A few players who also deserved to play at the international level will be sitting at home supporting their teammates, not because they weren’t capable, but only because the competition for a place in the national team is extremely high.

On that note, let’s take a look at the 10 Indian stars who were not selected in the Indian men’s kabaddi team for the Asian Games 2026.

Kabaddi stars who missed the cut despite their impressive credentials

10. Sachin Tanwar

Sachin Tanwar was part of the Indian team that won the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games. However, the right raider hasn’t been selected this time.

Known for his speed and dependency on do-or-die raids, Sachin has seen a drop in form over the last few years. Since there is a lot of competition for places in the national team, he didn’t make the cut for the 12 players selected for the Asian Games.

9. Pankaj Mohite

Pankaj Mohite, who has been a clutch player for his PKL team, Puneri Paltan and has also shown great form in the Senior Nationals, has not been selected for the Asian Games.

India have selected six raiders, including two all-rounders, but there is no place for Pankaj in the team due to the fierce competition for places among raiders in the national team.

8. Nitesh Kumar

Nitesh Kumar, who was the Defender of the Season in Pro Kabaddi League Season 11, is also not part of the Indian squad for the Asian Games.

The left corner, who represents Tamil Thalaivas in the PKL, had a great performance last season, ending up third on the list of leading tackle-point scorers with 65 tackle points to his name. However, he wasn’t given a chance in the Indian team after several coaching camps, and the management went with other left corners.

7. Bharat Hooda

A shocking omission from the Indian team is Bharat Hooda. Bharat is a versatile all-rounder and has shown his ability to perform under pressure over the years. He was one of the star performers in PKL 12, helping Telugu Titans reach the Qualifiers.

He scored 230 raid points and also contributed 17 tackle points. However, the team went with experienced all-rounders like Pawan Sehrawat and Aslam Inamdar, both of whom also represented the team at the 2022 Asian Games.

6. Yogesh Dahiya

Another shocking omission is the exclusion of brilliant right-corner defender Yogesh Dahiya. Yogesh has emerged as one of the best right-corner defenders in the Kabaddi circuit over the years.

However, the team management went with Rahul Sethpal and Gaurav Khatri, who looked in great form in the last PKL and may have impressed the coaches more during the coaching camp.

5. Aditya Shinde

Aditya Shinde has emerged as one of the most impressive young raiders over the past year. He has performed exceptionally well in the Pro Kabaddi League and the Senior Nationals, impressing both the selectors and the fans.

However, since the competition for a place in the national team is very tough for raiders, Aditya will have to wait for his turn.

4. Parvesh Bhainswal

Parvesh Bhainswal, who was part of the Indian team that won the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games, will have to sit out of the team.

His level of play has dropped over the past few years, and he is no longer as effective at left cover; perhaps this is the reason the selectors did not pick him for the national team.

Also, only two covers have been selected for the team, as the team preferred to have more raiders, which made the case even harder for Parvesh.

3. Shubham Shinde

Shubham Shinde not making it into the Indian team is one of the most shocking pieces of news regarding the selection. The right-corner from Maharashtra has proven that he is one of the best corners in the country.

However, the team management went with Rahul Sethpal and Gaurav Khatri as the right corners for the Asian Games. Shinde was also upset by the news, and after the announcement of the Indian squad, he posted a heartbreak emoji on his Instagram story.

2. Surjeet Singh

Surjeet Singh was also part of the Indian team that won the gold medal in 2022, and he has recently been honoured with the Arjuna Award. However, the experienced defender was not selected for the 2026 Asian Games.

Even though he has been in tremendous form and helped his team, Dabang Delhi, win the Pro Kabaddi League last season, the team management decided to go with only one right cover and one left cover to accommodate more raiders.

1. Naveen Kumar

The most popular player who missed out on selection is Naveen Kumar. Naveen was also part of the Indian team that won the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games.

However, over the years, he has struggled with several injuries and seen a decline in his form, which could be one reason why the selectors have opted for younger players instead.

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