India created history by becoming the first men's champions of the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026, defeating Sri Lanka 54-20 in a one-sided final
in Ahmedabad. The triumph also completed a memorable double for the hosts, with the Indian women's team having earlier beaten Uganda 35-15 to lift the inaugural women's title.
Aditya Shinde led India's attacking charge with a brilliant Super 10, collecting 10 raid points from 14 attempts, including four bonus points. Bharat Hooda contributed eight raid points, all in the second half, while Pankaj Mohite and vice-captain Naveen Kumar added six and five points respectively.
India's defensive unit was equally impressive, with Yogesh Dahiya recording a perfect High 5 after successfully completing all five of his tackle attempts. Shubham Shinde, captain Surjeet Singh, Pravesh Malik and Deepak Sankar chipped in with two tackle points apiece.
India accumulated 30 raid points and 14 tackle points, inflicted four All-Outs and never conceded one. Sri Lanka struggled to find attacking momentum, managing just 11 raid points and nine tackle points. Maduwantha was their leading performer with six tackle points, including two Super Tackles.
The Indian dominance was evident from the first half itself. Leading 15-8 with 10 minutes remaining, India produced a decisive 15-2 scoring burst to head into the interval with a commanding 30-10 advantage. They maintained their superiority after the restart, winning the second half 24-10.
India completed the tournament with a flawless record of eight victories from eight matches. After topping Group A with six wins, they defeated Bangladesh 56-27 in the semi-final before dismantling Sri Lanka in the final.
