Indian men's basketball team jumps five places to 76th in latest FIBA ​​rankings

The last time the Indian men’s basketball team ranked this high was in March 2021.

The Indian men’s basketball team has moved up five places to 76th in the latest FIBA ​​world rankings. This ranking is the Indian cagers’ best in four years, last achieved in March 2021, and comes after their undefeated run in the final round of the FIBA ​​Asia Cup 2025 qualifiers.

India sealed qualification for their 11th straight FIBA Asia Cup, a streak dating back to 2001, after back-to-back wins in Manama, Bahrain. On March 21, they outclassed Iraq 97–77. A day later, they edged hosts Bahrain 81–77 in a tense finish, with a clutch performance that showed their growth as a team.

India then held a nine-point lead in the final quarter against World Number 66 Bahrain, ranked 81 before the qualifiers, but had to come back to trail 77-75 with less than two minutes to go. Arvind Krishnan turned hero, hitting a go-ahead three-pointer and calmly sinking two free throws to seal the game.

Harsh Dagar also led the charge with a game-high 28 points, hitting 6-of-8 from three-point range, Kanwar Sandhu also added 15 points, while Pranav Prince and Muin Bek Hafeez combined for 22 points and 16 rebounds.

The win over Bahrain saw India top Group H in the final qualifying phase, which featured six third-placed teams from the previous round competing for the last four spots and also improved their ranking.

For the stats Geeks, historically, India reached a high of 50th in 2010 but had slipped to 73rd in early 2021. The team hovered in the 60s and 70s for most of the past decade, with rankings of 64 (2017), 67 (2019), and 76 (March 2021).

The Qualifiers also confirmed India’s spot in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025, scheduled in Jeddah from August 5 to 17. India’s success also qualifies them for the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers, keeping hopes alive for a first-ever World Cup appearance.                        

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram