Sunil Kumar to lead Indian men's kabaddi team at Asian Games 2026
India will aim to retain gold at the Asian Games 2026.
The Kabaddi events at the Asian Games 2026 will take place from September 21 to 26. The event will be held at the Tōkai Citizens Gymnasium in Tōkai, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Kabaddi will feature in the Asian Games for the ninth consecutive time, and alongside the Kabaddi World Cup, it remains one of the sport’s most important events. India have won the gold medal a record eight times, while Iran have won it once.
Recently, the squad for the Indian men’s kabaddi team was announced, featuring some of the best kabaddi players in the country, including Pawan Sehrawat, Sunil Kumar, Ashu Malik, Devank Dalal and others.
Overall, 12 players have been selected to represent India at the Asian Games. The squad consists of 4 raiders, 2 all-rounders and 6 defenders. Now, the name of the Indian men’s team captain has also been announced.
Sunil Kumar to lead India’s 12-member squad
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Pawan Sehrawat led the Indian men’s kabaddi team at the 2022 Asian Games, and under his leadership, the team won the gold medal. However, this time Sunil Kumar has been appointed captain in place of Sehrawat.
Pawan is still part of the team for the 2026 Asian Games; however, he won’t continue as the captain. Sunil has been one of the most successful captains in Pro Kabaddi League history. He has captained three different franchises and won one PKL trophy as captain.
He was also named India’s captain for the 2023 Asian Kabaddi Championship. However, due to visa-related issues, he arrived late, and Pawan captained the team in his absence and later continued as captain for the Asian Games.
With Sunil back at the helm, the team will feel more confident under a defensive leader who backs his teammates. India will look to defend their gold medal, and Sunil will aim to lead them with confidence.
Who is the captain of the Indian men’s kabaddi team for the Asian Games 2026?
Sunil Kumar is the captain of the Indian men’s kabaddi team for the Asian Games 2026.
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Kabaddi is old, but not older than my love for it. I am still a rookie, but kabaddi is one thing I have been following passionately since my childhood. I don't miss any matches of the league and I regularly follow domestic and international tournaments as well.