India Men Storm into Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship Final, Set Up Title Clash with Sri Lanka

India Men's team continued its dominant run at the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026, defeating Bangladesh 56-27 in the semi-finals at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad on Friday. 

The comprehensive victory secured India's place in the men's final, where they will face Sri Lanka on October 31. Sri Lanka booked their place in the title clash after overcoming Kenya 28-24 in a closely contested second semi-final. While India produced a commanding display to progress, Sri Lanka had to withstand a determined Kenyan challenge to earn their final berth.

India will enter Saturday's final aiming to complete an unbeaten campaign and lift the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship trophy. The match is scheduled to begin at 9 PM IST.

India established control almost immediately against Bangladesh, combining aggressive raiding with a disciplined defensive structure. Naveen Kumar and Neeraj Narwal led the early attacking effort, while Deepak S and Shubham Shinde provided stability in defence.

Bangladesh initially opened their account through a successful raid by Dipayon Golder. However, India quickly took charge, inflicting their first All-Out within the opening five minutes and establishing an early advantage.

As the contest progressed, Bharat Hooda and Shivam Patare took over the raiding responsibilities and continued to trouble the Bangladesh defence. Deepak S remained influential at the other end, ensuring Bangladesh struggled to find opportunities through their attacking movements.

India's pressure produced a second All-Out with eight minutes remaining in the first half. The defending unit maintained its discipline, while the raiders consistently found ways to collect points.

Bangladesh entered the interval trailing 8-28, having failed to register a single tackle point in the opening half. Dipayon Golder and Md Rahman were among their leading contributors through raids, but the team struggled to contain India's attacking depth.

Bharat Hooda leads India's attacking charge

India showed no signs of slowing down after the restart. Their raiders continued to find gaps, while the defensive unit ensured Bangladesh could not build a sustained comeback. With 10 minutes remaining, India had extended their advantage to 38-16. Bharat Hooda continued to trouble the opposition defence and played a central role in another decisive phase of the contest.

With four minutes left, India inflicted their third All-Out, taking the score to 49-20 and effectively putting the result beyond doubt. India eventually closed out a 56-27 victory, registering 37 raid points, 12 tackle points and six All-Out points.

Bharat Hooda was India's leading scorer with 13 points, while Shivam Patare contributed 11 and Neeraj Narwal added nine. The defensive effort was equally important, with Ajit Pawar producing an outstanding performance. He finished with five tackle points from eight tackles, helping India maintain pressure throughout the match.

The 29-point margin reflected India's superiority across both departments and ensured that they entered the final with considerable momentum.

India's opponents in the final will be Sri Lanka, who defeated Kenya 28-24 in the other semi-final. Unlike India's comfortable progression, Sri Lanka had to work hard to secure their place in the championship match. Kenya remained competitive throughout, but Sri Lanka managed to hold on to their advantage in the closing stages.

Milinda Chathuranga and Sabihan led Sri Lanka's scoring with six points each, while Viduranga added four. Made Dwiki Sanjaya was particularly effective defensively, finishing with five tackle points. For Kenya, Helvic Wanjala was the standout performer with nine points. Samuel Wafula contributed another six, but their efforts were not enough to take the team into the final.

Sri Lanka's four-point victory sets up an intriguing contest against an Indian side that has been particularly impressive in the knockout stages.

India captain Surjeet Singh described reaching the final as a proud moment for the team and emphasised the importance of completing their unbeaten campaign with the championship trophy. "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.

The Indian captain also highlighted the wider significance of the competition, which features 13 participating countries. He believes the tournament represents an important opportunity to expand kabaddi's international footprint.

Surjeet was particularly encouraged by the performances of African teams and expressed hope that talented players from the region would receive opportunities in competitions such as the Pro Kabaddi League. He also underlined the importance of international exposure in strengthening kabaddi's prospects of featuring at the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2036 Olympics.

India now have an opportunity to cap an unbeaten campaign by winning the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship. Their semi-final performance against Bangladesh demonstrated the depth of their raiding options and the strength of their defensive unit.

However, Sri Lanka's narrow victory over Kenya suggests that the final could present a different challenge. India will need to maintain their discipline and avoid allowing their opponents to dictate the pace of the contest. The men's final between India and Sri Lanka will take place on October 31 at 9 PM IST in Ahmedabad. 

With the inaugural title at stake, India will look to finish their campaign in style and underline their position as one of the leading forces in international kabaddi.