India men's national kho kho team

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see India women's national kho kho team.

India

Association	Kho Kho Federation of India
Confederation	International Kho Kho Federation
Head Coach	Ashwani Kumar Sharma
Captain	Pratik Waikar
World Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2025 )
Best result	First place, 2025

The India men's national kho kho team represents India in men's international Kho Kho. It is governed by the Kho Kho Federation of India and is a member of International Kho Kho Federation.

India was the host of the first Kho Kho World Cup and was the inaugural world champion. ^[1]

History

India men's team defeated Nepal men's team in the first ever Kho Kho World Cup match in 2025. ^{[2] [3]}

The Indian team were placed in Group A and defeated Nepal, Brazil, Peru and Bhutan in the group stages. In the quarterfinals, India defeated Bangladesh and beat South Africa 62-42 in the semifinals. In the finals, India defeated Nepal 54-36 to lift their maiden World Cup.

Sponsorship

The Indian National kho kho teams are sponsored by the Odisha state government for a period of three years from January 2025 to December 2027. Odisha committed Rs 5 crore per year for a total of Rs.15 crore for three years. ^[4]

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win  Draw  Loss  Fixture

2025

13 January 20:30 IST Result India   42–37     Nepal India won by 5 points Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi Player of the match: Aditya Ganpule (Ind)

14 January 20:15 IST Result India   66–34   Brazil India got W by 30 points. Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi

15 January 20:15 IST Result India   70–38   Peru India won by 32 points Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi

16 January 20:15 IST Result India   71–34   Bhutan India won by 37 points Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi

Quarter-final 1

17 January 2025 20:15 IST India   100-40   Sri Lanka Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi

Semi-final 1

18 January 2025 20:15 IST India   62-42   South Africa Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi

Final

19 January 2025 20:15 IST India   54-36     Nepal Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi

Current squad

As of 13 January 2025

Following is the team that represented India in the first Kho Kho World Cup in January 2025 at Delhi. ^[5]

Chief coach: Ashwani Kumar Sharma ^[6]

No.	Name	Date of birth	Position	State
1	Pratik Kiran Waikar	27 March 1992	Wazir	Maharashtra
6	Ramji Harishchandra Kashyap	2 March 2003	All rounder	Maharashtra
3	Sachin Bhargo	15 May 2000	Wazir	Madhya Pradesh
8	Suyash Vishwas Gargate	8 June 1997	All rounder	Maharashtra
12	Sinam Rokeson Singh		Attacker	Manipur
5	Gowtham M. K.	1997	Defender	Karnataka
53	Nikhil B.	2001	All rounder	Kerala
67	Pabani Sabar	17 October 2024	All rounder	Odisha
19	Aditya Prashant Ganpule	2004	All rounder
4	Akash Kumar	2002	Attacker	Uttar Pradesh
10	Pothi Reddy Siva Reddy	1996	All rounder	Andhra Pradesh
23	Subramani V.	2002	All rounder	Tamil Nadu
1	Aniket Bhagwan Pote	7 November 1996	All rounder	Maharashtra
9	Sumon Barman	29 December 2004	All rounder	West Bengal
55	Mehul Taak	2002	All rounder	New Delhi

Standby players: Akshay Bangare, Rajvardhan Shankar Patil and Vishwanath Janakiram. ^[7]

Competitive record

Kho Kho World Cup record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D*	L
2025	Champion		7	7	0	0
Total	1/1	1 Title	7	7	0	0

References

1. "Kho Kho World Cup: After women, Indian men's team also crowned champion". The Hindu . Press Trust of India. 20 January 2025. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
2. IND vs NEP : 13 Jan Result
3. "Kho Kho World Cup kicks off today: Nepal to face India in opener" . Retrieved 13 January 2025.
4. Nayak, Subadh (19 January 2025). "Historic Victory! Indian men's and women's teams become first ever Kho Kho World Cup Champions". KalingaTV.com. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
5. "Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) - KKFI Official Website". Kho Kho Federation. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
6. Nalwala, Ali Asgar (12 January 2025). "Kho Kho World Cup 2025: Historic edition to unfold in New Delhi - India squads, where to watch live". Olympics.com. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
7. "KKFI Announces Robust Team India Squad For Kho Kho World Cup 2025 | Other Sports News". NDTVSports.com. Retrieved 19 March 2025.