India men's national kho kho team
 | |
| 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
|
|
|
|
- Quarter-final 1
|
- Semi-final 1
|
- Final
|
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
- ^ "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.
- ^ IND vs NEP : 13 Jan Result
- ^ "Kho Kho World Cup kicks off today: Nepal to face India in opener". Retrieved 13 January 2025.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) - KKFI Official Website". Kho Kho Federation. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "KKFI Announces Robust Team India Squad For Kho Kho World Cup 2025 | Other Sports News". NDTVSports.com. Retrieved 19 March 2025.