Indian Railways crowned champions of 72nd Senior National Men's Kabaddi Championship 2026 by defeating Maharashtra

Railways won their 5th gold medal in the last 7 editions.

After four days of intense Kabaddi action and many thrilling matches, the 72nd Senior National Men’s Kabaddi Championship 2026 has concluded. The tournament featured 29 teams competing for the title, with more than 400 players participating, including several Pro Kabaddi stars.

The competition witnessed numerous exciting encounters and a few major upsets. Haryana, the 2024 Senior National champions, were defeated 7-4 by Tamil Nadu in a tie-breaker in the pre-quarterfinals.

The Services team, who were the defending champions, were outplayed by Uttar Pradesh in the quarter-final, with Uttar Pradesh winning 55–51. The final of the tournament featured Indian Railways and Maharashtra battling for the trophy.

Indian Railways defeated Pawan Sehrawat-led Chandigarh in a thrilling semi-final, winning the tiebreaker 7–4. On the other hand, Maharashtra overcame a strong Uttar Pradesh side in their semi-final clash to book a place in the final. On that note, let’s take a look at the results of the final.

Indian Railways defeated Maharashtra in the final-

The final began with both teams trading heavy blows. Until the 18th minute, it was a complete rollercoaster, with both sides level and fighting for every point. Maharashtra’s main raiders, Aslam Inamdar and Aditya Shinde, struggled to make an impact and repeatedly fell prey to the Railways’ defence.

The Sunil–Pravesh duo worked brilliantly for Indian Railways, while Shubham Shinde controlled the right corner effectively. Maharashtra brought in Ajit Chouhan as a substitute, but even he couldn’t break through the strong Railways defence.

Pankaj Mohite then produced an important super raid, scoring four points that changed the course of the game, and suddenly, Railways began dictating the match tempo. They dominated the second half, with Pankaj completing a Super 10 and Shubham Shinde registering a High 5.

Railways kept extending their lead, while Maharashtra remained on the back foot and failed to stage any comeback, handing Railways a comfortable 49–31 victory in the final.

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