Why was Sunil Kumar named India's captain in place of Pawan Sehrawat for Asian Games 2026?
Sunil Kumar is the most successful PKL captain.
The Asian Games 2026 is now less than a month away, and the Indian men’s kabaddi team for this event has been announced. The Kabaddi events at the Asian Games will take place from September 21 to 26.
When the squad was announced, the management didn’t name the captain. A few days later, they confirmed that experienced defender Sunil Kumar will lead the Indian men’s kabaddi team at the Asian Games.
Sunil was also appointed as India’s captain for the 2023 Asian Kabaddi Championship. However, due to visa-related issues, Pawan captained the team in the tournament and subsequently remained the captain for the 2022 Asian Games; these Games were originally scheduled for 2022 but were postponed due to COVID-19.
Now that Sunil has once again been named captain, questions are being raised regarding the decision to remove Pawan as India’s captain.
Why was Sunil Kumar appointed captain in place of Pawan Sehrawat?
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Pawan Sehrawat captained the Indian team that won the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games. Despite having an excellent record as captain, he will not continue to lead the Indian kabaddi team.
Sunil Kumar, who has been appointed as the Indian captain, has been the most successful captain in PKL history in terms of matches won. By the end of the 2025 Pro Kabaddi League, he had 87 wins as a captain and had also won the trophy once in that role.
On the other hand, Pawan has experienced a dip in form since the last Asian Games and has continued to underperform in the PKL. His captaincy record during this period has also been underwhelming, and he has been at the centre of several controversies related to team management.
Last season, Pawan was released by the Tamil Thalaivas midway through the tournament and later alleged that the decision was unfair. However, the Indian team has shown confidence in him and selected him for the upcoming tournament. This time, the responsibility of captaincy has been entrusted to Sunil.
When will the Kabaddi event at the Asian Games 2026 start?
The Kabaddi event at the 2026 Asian Games is scheduled to take place from September 21 to September 26, 2026.
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 2026 Asian Games.
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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.