Kabaddi World Cup 2016 witnessed the emergence of Ajay Thakur, the man who gave India the title

India's Manjeet Chhillar recalled his teammate saying he would beat Iran singlehandedly on the morning of the Kabaddi World Cup final, and the 30-year-old raider stepped into the court and pulled it off. The Himachal Pradesh raider was brought in by the Puneri Paltan during the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) but was not allowed game time. The in-form Deepak Hooda had replaced him, and the Asian Games gold medalist was detached from the herd. 

Besides injuries, Thakur's rough patch was birthed by his lack of self-belief. Unlike his top-notch form at the World Cup, he lost his wagger at the PKL, which gave the defenders leverage against him. In contrast to scoring 122 and 79 raid points in the first two seasons, Thakur secured a meagre 52 and 63 in the next two. Despite consistent setbacks, coach Balwan Singh couldn't ignore him, which allowed him a chance to make it to the World Cup. On the first day of the World Cup, coach Balwan reassured him of his talent and told him he could beat any defence, which helped the 30-year-old find his path. 

How Ajay got his mojo back

He couldn't enter the starting line-up for the first game against Korea but was summoned to deliver a do-or-die raid to prevent India from being all out, and that is when he won India a crucial point. By the final match, Thakur's 53-point extravaganza almost restored his glory as the best raider of the tournament. However, he and his partner in crime, Pardeep Narwal, couldn't overcome the steely Iran defence, and they had a five-point lead with fifteen minutes of the game remaining. In that instance, Ajay Thakur rose to the occasion. He left his foot as bait and instigated an Iranian assault. He fought hard and stuck a foot across the half line, bringing India two crucial points. 

Iran then lost numbers, and Ajay Thakur regained his mojo. According to captain Anup Kumar, they knew they could resurface. He believes a five-point lead is not alarming when Ajay is in such good form. Thakur closed the evening with 11 raid points, saving his team from a potentially heartbreaking loss to rebuild India's hold over world kabaddi. Thakur changed the game on his own accord and his teammate Kumar credited their win to him. Kumar pointed his finger at the 30-year-old and showed the press who the real hero was. India not only lifted the World Cup title but also reunited with one of its greatest ever kabaddi players.