Vishal Bhardwaj (kabaddi)

Vishal Bhardwaj (born 1 January 1997) is an Indian professional Kabaddi player who plays in the Pro Kabaddi League. He is a defender who plays in the left corner. He is selected for the Indian team to represent at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. He is part of the Indian team that won the gold medal in the 2022 Asian Games. India defeated Iran 33-29 in a controversial final.

Early life
Vishal hails from a middle-class family from Una district, Himachal Pradesh. His mother Anju is a home maker and he has one sister, Kanika. He is the first in the family to take up sports and he initially played basketball before switching to Kabaddi. After his junior days, he was selected for Telugu Titans in the PKL. He is nick-named as 'Ankle-Assassin' as he specialises in ankle-hold in the defence.

Career
He played for Telugu Titans in the Pro Kabaddi League for three seasons. He captained the team in Season 6. He is part of the Indian team that won the gold in the final of the 2022 Asian Games.