Home » Sports » India men’s team to face Sri Lanka in Commonwealth Kabaddi final
India’s men’s kabaddi team secured a decisive 56-27 victory over Bangladesh in the semi-finals of the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026, held at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad on October 30. This win sets up a final clash with Sri Lanka on October 31.
India gained early control of the match with strong raids from Naveen Kumar and Neeraj Narwal, while Deepak S and Shubham Shinde provided steadfast defence. Despite Dipayon Golder opening the scoring for Bangladesh, India quickly inflicted their first All-Out within five minutes, establishing dominance.
Bharat Hooda and Shivam Patare increased India’s lead through effective raiding, supported by Deepak S’s defensive efforts. A second All-Out was inflicted with eight minutes remaining in the first half, allowing India to enter halftime with a 28-8 lead. Bangladesh struggled to respond in defence and failed to register any tackle points in the first half, while Golder and Md Rahman contributed raids for Bangladesh.
India sustained their momentum in the second half, combining efficient raiding and disciplined defence to extend their lead to 38-16 with 10 minutes remaining. Bharat Hooda continued to pressure Bangladesh, enabling India to inflict a third All-Out with four minutes remaining, increasing the lead to 49-20. India ultimately secured the win, accumulating 37 raid points, 12 tackle points, and six All-Out points.
Bharat Hooda was the top scorer for India with 13 points, followed by Shivam Patare with 11 and Neeraj Narwal with nine. Ajit Pawar also had a notable defensive performance, recording five tackle points from eight tackles, contributing to India’s consistent pressure throughout the game.
In the other semi-final, Sri Lanka defeated Kenya 28-24 in a closely contested match to earn their place in the final. Milinda Chathuranga and Sabihan each scored six points for Sri Lanka, while Viduranga added four points. Made Dwiki Sanjaya led Sri Lanka’s defence with five tackle points. For Kenya, Helvic Wanjala was the top scorer with nine points, and Samuel Wafula contributed six.
India captain Surjeet Singh reflected on their performance, stating, “It is a proud moment for us to reach the final of the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship. The team is in high spirits, and our aim is to continue this unbeaten run and win the title. With 13 countries participating, the tournament is an important step towards growing kabaddi internationally. The performances of the African teams have been particularly encouraging, and I would love to see more of these talented players get opportunities in competitions like the Pro Kabaddi League. Such exposure will help the sport grow globally and strengthen our hopes of seeing kabaddi feature at the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2036 Olympics.”
The India men’s team will meet Sri Lanka in the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 final on October 31 at 9 PM, aiming to complete their unbeaten run by winning the inaugural title.
This story is written by TNM Bureau with inputs from ANI. The News Mill is a Guwahati-based digital media with focus on content from across Northeast India and beyond. We can be reached through [email protected]
Essential stories and updates from The News Mill, delivered to your inbox.
Independent news and journalism from Northeast India, with coverage of the region, India and the world.
Loading comments…