Kabaddi World Cup: List of all winning captains
India have won five titles in the Kabaddi World Cup.
India have remained the top force in the Kabaddi World Cup right from the very first edition in 2004. The tournament, organised by the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF), has been hosted in several cities over the years, but India’s dominance has never really slipped.
India are the most successful team in the history of the Kabaddi World Cup (Men’s & Women’s). The men’s team set the tone early by winning the titles in 2004, 2007 and 2016, securing all three editions played so far.
On the other hand, the women’s team added to the country’s success with victories in 2012 and 2025. With consistent performances across both categories, India continue to be the most successful nation in the history of the Kabaddi World Cup.
On that note, let’s take a look at the list of Kabaddi World Cup-winning captains over the years:
Sanjeev Baliyan (2004 Men’s Kabaddi World Cup)
Sanjeev Baliyan was the first captain to win the Kabaddi World Cup title in 2004. He guided the Indian men’s kabaddi team to the silverware in the first edition of the tournament in Mumbai.
India were pitted in Pool A alongside Canada, Thailand, and the West Indies. They won the matches with scores of 51-14 against Canada, 60-42 against the West Indies, and 51-29 against Thailand. The hosts received a bye in the quarter-finals and beat Bangladesh 39-19 in the semi-finals.
Team India lifted the trophy on home soil, defeating Iran 55-27 in the final. Bangladesh and Canada, the two other semi-finalists, were jointly awarded the bronze medal.
Pankaj Shirsat (2007 Men’s Kabaddi World Cup)
Pankaj Shirsat helped India defend their Men’s Kabaddi World Cup title in 2007. The second edition of the tournament took place in Panvel, Maharashtra, India.
The hosts were drawn in Pool A with Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan, and Pakistan. However, Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan never participated in the tournament, resulting in the remaining two teams qualifying directly for the quarter-finals.
India defeated Malaysia (68-21) and Bangladesh (48-22) in the quarter-final and semi-final, respectively. They brushed past Iran once again with a scoreline of 29-19 to win their second consecutive World Cup title. Bangladesh and Japan won the bronze medals after losing their respective semi-final encounters.
Mamtha Poojari (2012 Women’s Kabaddi World Cup)
Udupi-born player Mamtha Poojari was the first female Indian captain to win the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup in 2012. India topped Pool A with three wins from as many encounters after victories over South Korea, Chinese Taipei, and Mexico.
They thrashed Indonesia 66-20 in the quarter-finals and Japan 59-20 in the semi-finals. The Women in Blue registered a hard-fought 25-19 victory over Iran at the Patliputra Sports Complex in Patna, Bihar, to lift their maiden title at home.
Also Read: Women’s Kabaddi World Cup: List of all winners
Anup Kumar (2016 Men’s Kabaddi World Cup)
Former U Mumba captain and Patna Pirates coach Anup Kumar led India to their third consecutive Men’s Kabaddi World Cup title in 2016. Drawn in Pool A, India finished second with four wins and a loss from five matches. They won against Bangladesh, England, Australia, Argentina, and suffered a defeat at the hands of table-toppers South Korea.
The hosts thrashed Thailand 73-20 in front of a huge home crowd in Ahmedabad to book a slot in the final. India were up against Iran once again, and defeated them 38-29 to bag another title.
Ritu Negi (2025 Women’s Kabaddi World Cup)
The Indian Women’s Kabaddi Team won the recently concluded Women’s Kabaddi World Cup 2025 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. They finished atop Group A with four wins from four encounters, beating Bangladesh, Thailand, Uganda, and Germany.
India defeated Iran 33-21 in the first semi-final, while Chinese Taipei got past the host Bangladesh 25-18 in the second semi-final. Following an intense match, defending champions India defeated Chinese Taipei 35-28 in the summit clash to win their second consecutive title.
Ritu Negi was India’s captain in the 2025 edition of the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup, which was earlier scheduled to take place in India, but was later moved to Bangladesh.
How many Kabaddi World Cups does India have?
India have five Kabaddi World Cup titles, three in men’s and two in women’s.
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Farzan is a journalist at Khel Now covering Indian Olympic sports and kabaddi. With five years of experience working with major sports organizations like Chennaiyin FC, Dabang Delhi K.C., Rajasthan Royals, and Yuva Kabaddi Series, he brings diverse expertise. Farzan has covered two Olympics, one Commonwealth Games, and one Asian Games, making his knowledge of Indian sports broad and versatile.