Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026: India squads, schedule and broadcast details

The inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 will take place at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad, India, running from October 23 to 31, 2026, and will feature 13 men’s and 10 women’s nations.

India enter the tournament as clear favourites after winning gold in both men’s and women’s events at the Asian Games 2026 following unbeaten runs; both Indian squads have been reshaped for the Championship with several new faces and some members of the Asian Games-winning teams resting. Experienced defender Surjeet Singh will captain the Indian men’s team, with Naveen Kumar appointed vice-captain. Nidhi Sharma will captain the Indian women’s side. Tournament organisers expect the reconfigured Indian teams to provide opportunities for fringe players to contest for places.

The Indian men’s squad is divided by roles with raiders comprising Sachin Tanwar, Naveen Kumar, Pankaj Mohite, Aditya Shinde and Shivam Patare. The defensive unit lists Surjeet Singh (C), Ajit Pawar, Parvesh Bhainswal, Shubham Shinde, Yogesh Dahiya, Nitesh Kumar and Deepak Sankar. All-rounders named to the men’s panel are Bharat Hooda and Neeraj Narwal. The selection underlines a mix of experience and younger options across the three traditional kabaddi roles.

The Indian women’s squad as named includes Nidhi Sharma (C), Simran Kamboj, Champa Thakur, Anu Kumari and Ritu Mitharwal. Additional members are Karthika Ramesh, Suman Sahu, Sakshi, Jyothi and Riya Kumari. The list is completed by Renuka Choudhary, Muskan Sharma, Priya and Sabhai Gadhavi. The roster presents a 14-player group for the women’s competition.

Domestic broadcast rights in India have been awarded to the Star Sports Network, with live streaming available on JioHotstar. Khel Now directs readers to its social channels for continued updates and engagement. For more content, Khel Now also promotes its Android and iOS apps and community groups on Whatsapp and Telegram.

For full Indian team schedules, results, match timings, live streaming details and other key information on the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026, follow Khel Now’s coverage and official broadcast platforms.