Asian Games 2026: India Wins Men’s 10m Air Rifle Team Silver as Rudrankksh Patil and Himanshu Dhillon Reach Final

India added another shooting medal to its Asian Games 2026 tally after Rudrankksh Patil, Himanshu Dhillon and Parth Mane combined to win the silver medal in the men’s 10m air rifle team event. 

The Indian trio finished the qualification round with a combined score of 1890.1, while China produced a new world record of 1899 to claim the gold medal.

The qualification round also delivered individual success for India, with Rudrankksh and Himanshu advancing to the eight-man individual final. Parth, despite a difficult qualification campaign, contributed to India’s team silver.

The qualification began with all three Indian shooters looking for improvement after their opening series. After the first 10 shots, Himanshu Dhillon led the Indian trio with 105.3, while Parth Mane recorded 104.5 and Rudrankksh Patil was slightly behind on 104.2. At the top of the standings, defending champion Sheng Lihao of China had already completed three series and was setting the pace with a cumulative score of 318.4.

For the Indians, the challenge was to maintain consistency across all six series while staying within the individual qualification positions and simultaneously building a strong combined score for the team competition.

Rudrankksh turns things around

The second series brought a major change in Rudrankksh’s fortunes.

The Indian shooter produced an impressive 106.0, giving his qualification campaign a significant boost. Himanshu followed with 104.6, while Parth struggled to find the same level of consistency and recorded 103.7. Rudrankksh continued his recovery in the third series, scoring 105.7, while Himanshu registered 104.8. Both Indians moved into the top eight at that stage, putting themselves in contention for the individual final.

Parth, meanwhile, remained outside the qualification positions despite improving to 104.7 in his third series.

The qualification format meant that India could have a maximum of two shooters in the individual final, adding another layer of importance to the battle between the three Indian competitors.

Sheng Lihao sets new Asian Games qualification record

While the Indian shooters were battling for final positions, China’s Sheng Lihao produced another exceptional qualification performance. The defending champion finished his six series with a total of 635.4, setting a new Asian Games qualification record. His score surpassed his previous Asian Games record of 634.5, set at Hangzhou 2023, by 0.9 points.

Sheng’s performance put him firmly at the top of the qualification standings and underlined the level that the Indian shooters had to contend with. China’s dominance extended into the team competition as well, with Sheng joined by Zhang Changhong and Ma Sihan.

By the time all three Indians completed their 60 shots, the qualification picture had become clearer. Rudrankksh Patil finished with 631.8, placing him third in the standings. His strong recovery after the opening series proved crucial in securing his place in the individual final.

Himanshu Dhillon finished with 630.0 and also made the cut, eventually securing a place among the eight finalists. For Parth Mane, however, the final series was not enough to earn an individual qualification berth. He finished with 628.3, placing him 11th at the time. With only two shooters from each country permitted to compete in the individual final, Parth could not advance even if the final standings around him changed.

India secures team silver

The combined performances of the three Indians nevertheless delivered a valuable team medal. India finished with 1890.1, enough to secure the silver medal in the men’s 10m air rifle team event. China claimed gold with 1899, setting a new world record and bettering its previous mark from November 2025 by 0.2 points.

Korea completed the podium with 1884.2 to take bronze.

For India, the team silver represents another strong result in a shooting discipline where consistency across three athletes is critical. Rudrankksh’s recovery, Himanshu’s steady qualification and Parth’s contribution combined to put India on the podium.

With the team medal secured, attention now turns to the individual competition. Rudrankksh Patil and Himanshu Dhillon will return to the range for the men’s 10m air rifle individual final at 9:00 AM IST. Rudrankksh enters the final after finishing third in qualification, while Himanshu progressed in seventh place. Both will now start with a fresh opportunity to challenge for an individual medal.

The morning has therefore produced a significant haul for Indian shooting: a team silver, two individual finalists and another opportunity for medals still to come.

For Rudrankksh and Himanshu, the task now is to carry the momentum from qualification into the final as India looks to add another medal to its Asian Games shooting campaign.