Asian Kabaddi Championships 2017: 5 big names who are missing from India's team

As Iran gears up to host the Asian Kabaddi Championships that is scheduled to start on the 22nd of November 2017, the 36-member probables unit from India is taking part in an intense coaching camp at Sonepat at the end of which twelve players will make the final cut to represent the nation in the mega tournament.

Following a successful Pro Kabaddi League 2017, the list of probables boasts some exquisite talents, who had a massive impact in the recently-concluded league such, including the likes of Pardeep Narwal, Rohit Kumar, Surender Nada amongst others.

However, there are some surprises, with notable names such as Anup Kumar, Manjeet Chhillar amongst others failing to make the cut, leaving a lot of questions unanswered. Here are five such big names which have missed out from this year's probables list.

#5 Dharmaraj Cheralathan

Cheralathan (R) gives a few words of advice to Sandeep Narwal

Fondly referred to as 'Anna', the 42-year-old defender has bags of experience under his belt and has been an instrumental part of the Indian setup in the past few years. In the Kabaddi World Cup held in 2017, Cheralathan donned the role of the corner defender to good success.

Such is his skill, that Cheralathan has been a vital cog in the defence for all the teams he has represented in the PKL. In PKL 3, he was a part of Patna's squad and led them to victory, In all, he has 216 defence points from 77 matches.

Although Mohit Chhilar, Sandeep Narwal and Amit Hooda are right corners, Cheralathan's experience could have given India a major advantage in the competition.

#4 Vishal Mane

Vishal Mane (L) played a huge role in Patna's PKL 5 title victory

Pouncing like a hawk from the right cover position, Vishal Mane's confidence in his blocks and strong dashes rubbed off on the rest of the Patna defence, resulting in them galloping to a hat-trick of PKL title victories.

A rock-solid defender, Mane bagged the Best Defender award in 2014 for his exploits in the PKL that year, eventually earning a call-up to the Indian camp a year later. Mane debuted for U Mumba in the inaugural season and played there for the next two seasons before moving to the Bengal Warriors in PKL 4 and subsequently the Patna Pirates for season five.

A huge hit amongst the fans, Vishal's absence from the line-up is surely a surprise, with him having performed well in season five of the Pro Kabaddi League.

#3 Girish Maruti Ernak

Girish's defensive prowess would have been useful

Never a man to shy away from opportunities to strike, Ernak's understanding of the game coupled with his ability to put in strong tackles have put him on par with some of the biggest defenders in kabaddi history.

Ernak enjoyed an extraordinary fifth season of the Pro Kabaddi League as he finished amongst the top ten defenders from the season. Guarding the left corner, Ernak not only put in brave tackles of his own, but his dashes and the support he gave to the rest of the defence unit stood out.

Given his pyrotechnics in the PKL, it remains a mystery as to why he was not picked for even the 36-man probables, but that's a story for another day.

#2 Manjeet Chhillar

Manjeet attempts a block during the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup

The veteran's exclusion does not come as a surprise since the all-rounder deemed himself unfit for selection, hinting that he required surgery after picking up an injury while representing the Jaipur Pink Panthers in season five of the Pro Kabaddi League.

However, Manjeet's absence will be a huge blow to the team as his experience and reading of crucial situations would have proven useful. Putting in colossal blocks and allowing no escape routes with his strong holds, Manjeet's presence on the mat has often been the X-factor for every team he has represented in the PKL and for India as well.

#1 Anup Kumar

Anup Kumar along with Kapil Dev during the team launch ahead of the Kabaddi World Cup in 2016

The skipper of India's World Cup-winning squad of 2016, Anup's exclusion from the line-up has grabbed headlines ever since the probables list was announced. An integral part of the Indian squad since his title victory with U Mumba in the inaugural season of the Pro Kabaddi League, Anup has led not only his franchise to title victories, but India as well.

Although Anup does not play a very aggressive brand of kabaddi, his knack to pick up bonus points with pinpoint accuracy, along with clever touch points have ensured his team stays out of troubled waters on many occasions.

Having led the Indian team and U Mumba to title victories as well as housing acres of experience, Anup's exclusion has definitely raised a lot of eyebrows.