India heads to the 2026 Asian Games with a significantly revamped men’s kabaddi squad as they attempt to defend the gold medal won in Hangzhou in 2023. Only four players from the title-winning team have retained their places, while eight new faces have been selected for the tournament in Aichi.
Arjun Deshwal, Sunil Kumar, Pawan Sehrawat and Aslam Inamdar are the only members of the Hangzhou squad to return. The remaining players will either make their Asian Games debut or return after missing the previous edition.
PKL Stars Headline the Raiding Unit
The selectors have placed their faith in the Pro Kabaddi League’s top performers by including Ayan Lohchab and Devank Dalal.
Lohchab finished the 12th PKL season as the league’s leading raider with 316 raid points in 22 matches, while Dalal accumulated 271 raid points in just 16 appearances, giving him an even higher average.
Ashu Malik joins Deshwal to complete the specialist raiding group, with all-rounders Pawan Sehrawat and Aslam Inamdar providing additional attacking options. The squad gives India considerable depth in raids during the six-day competition, where player rotation could prove crucial.
Naveen Kumar Among Notable Omissions
One of the biggest talking points is the absence of star raider Naveen Kumar, who famously recorded 28 consecutive Super 10s in the Pro Kabaddi League between 2019 and 2022.
Experienced players Surjeet Singh, Aditya Shinde, Shubham Shinde, Yogesh Dahiya and Parvesh Bhainswal have also been left out.
The final squad was selected after an extensive training process, with the national camp initially featuring 45 players before being reduced to 29 during the second phase between June 8 and July 7. The final selection trimmed that group down to the 12-player squad.
Defensive Core Remains Experienced
While the attack has undergone significant changes, India have retained greater continuity in defence.
Captain Sunil Kumar returns after helping India win gold in Hangzhou and is joined by Jaideep Dahiya, Rahul Sethpal, Gaurav Khatri, Sumit Sangwan and Ankit Jaglan.
The six-defender structure provides balance, although several of the defenders will be appearing at their first Asian Games.
Women’s Champions Return to Defend Title
India’s women’s team will also defend the gold medal they secured in Hangzhou after defeating Chinese Taipei 26-25 in a dramatic final.
The squad includes Ritu Negi, Pushpa Rana, Sonali Shingate, Sanju Devi, Pooja Kajla, Ritu Sheoran, Jyoti Thakur, Pinki Roy, Manisha Kumari, Bhavna Thakur, Rajrani and Nikita Kumari.
That triumph in 2023 was India’s third women’s Asian Games gold medal after previous successes in 2010 and 2014.
Tough Road to Another Gold
Kabaddi at the 2026 Asian Games will be played from September 21 to 26.
The Indian men have been drawn in Group A alongside Bangladesh, South Korea, Chinese Taipei and hosts Japan, meaning defending runners-up Iran can only be faced in the semi-finals or final.
The women face a tougher group-stage challenge, sharing Group A with Iran, Japan and Bangladesh. Iran remain a familiar rival, having defeated India in the 2018 Asian Games final.
India’s men will also be wary of Iran, the only nation to prevent them from winning Asian Games gold since kabaddi became a medal sport in 1990. Iran famously defeated India in the 2018 semi-finals, ending their unbeaten run and leaving them with the bronze medal.
With only four returning gold medallists in the men’s squad, India will rely on a blend of experienced leaders and emerging Pro Kabaddi stars as they attempt to retain the Asian Games title in Aichi.
