Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026: India Thrash Bangladesh 56-27, Set Up Final Against Sri Lanka

Ahmedabad, October 30: India men's kabaddi team stormed into the final of the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 after thrashing Bangladesh 56-27 in the semi-final at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad on Friday (October 30).

The hosts will take on continental rivals Sri Lanka in the title clash on Saturday, October 31, after the latter edged Kenya 28-24 in the second semi-final. The Indian team will now look to cap its unbeaten campaign by lifting the inaugural championship trophy.

Against Bangladesh, Indians asserted their dominance from the opening minutes, with Naveen Kumar and Neeraj Narwal leading the raiding effort while Deepak S and Shubham Shinde anchored the defence. Although Dipayon Golder opened Bangladesh's account with a successful raid, India quickly took control, inflicting their first All-Out within the opening five minutes.

Bharat Hooda and Shivam Patare subsequently took charge of the raiding department as India widened the gap. The hosts inflicted a second All-Out with eight minutes remaining in the first half and went into the break with a commanding 28-8 lead. Bangladesh struggled to make an impact, failing to register a tackle point in the opening half.

India continued in the same fashion after the restart, combining effective raids with disciplined defending to move 38-16 ahead with 10 minutes remaining. Bharat Hooda kept troubling the Bangladesh defence and helped India inflict another All-Out with four minutes left, taking the score to 49-20.

The hosts eventually closed out a comprehensive 56-27 victory, registering 37 raid points, 12 tackle points and six All-Out points.

Bharat Hooda led India's scoring with 13 points, while Shivam Patare contributed 11 and Neeraj Narwal added nine. Ajit Pawar was also impressive in defence, finishing with five tackle points from eight tackles.

In the other semi-final, Sri Lanka secured their place in the final with a narrow 28-24 win over Kenya. Milinda Chathuranga and Sabihan scored six points each, while Made Dwiki Sanjaya contributed five tackle points. Kenya's Helvic Wanjala was the leading scorer with nine points, but Sri Lanka held on to book their title clash against India.

India captain Surjeet Singh said reaching the final of the inaugural championship was a proud moment for the team and stressed that their focus was now on winning the title.

"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," Surjeet said.

He also highlighted the importance of the competition in expanding kabaddi's international reach, pointing to the encouraging performances of African teams and expressing hope that more players would get opportunities in leagues such as the Pro Kabaddi League.

India will take on Sri Lanka in the men's final at 9 PM IST on October 31, with the hosts aiming to finish their campaign with the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship title.