INDIAN KABADDI TEAM skipper Anup Kumar is likely to be dropped from the squad ahead of the Asian Championship, which is scheduled to kick-off in Iran, starting November 22.
The veteran raider had led the side to glory during the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup. Surprisingly, this year, Anup has reportedly failed to make it to the list of 35 players, who have been called up for a selection camp held in Haryana. As reported by Sportskeeda, it is learnt that Tamil Thalaivas skipper and 2016 WC hero Ajay Thakur is among the oldest players who have been called up for the trials.
Anup, who led the U Mumba-side in Pro Kabaddi season 5, picked 112 raid points and 23 tackle points from 21 games. In a performance which seemed rather subdued with respect to other seasons, the legendary raider displayed great leadership skills during Mumbai's injury-ridden campaign. It is not known whether Anup has requested for a break or indeed snubbed from the India assignment.
The final squad is set to be announced on the November 18. Although India will go into the tournament as favorites they are likely to face competition from South Korea and Iran.