Top five greatest Indian squash players of all-time

Squash was introduced to India by the British Army before World War I.

Indian squash has evolved from a colonial elite sport to a burgeoning national obsession with global medal hopefuls. With squash set to make its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028, India’s squash heroes have placed the nation on the map as an emerging force in the sport.

On that note, let’s take a look at the top five greatest Indian squash players of all-time.

Ritwick Bhattacharya

Ritwick Bhattacharya set important firsts for Indian squash as the first Indian to break into the PSA world top 50 (peaking at 38th in 2006) and claim a PSA title at the 2003 Whakatane Open. A five-time national champion, he led India to eighth position in the 2007 World Team Championships and, along with Saurav Ghosal, won India its first World Doubles Championships medal in 2004.

Outside of competition, Bhattacharya continues to influence Indian squash through his START Academy in Mumbai, inspiring tribal children from underprivileged families. He is also training teenage talent Anahat Singh.

Saurav Ghosal

Saurav Ghosal brought Indian squash to record-breaking heights as the first Indian to attain world No. 10 and win Commonwealth Games singles bronze (Birmingham 2022). He has nine Asian Games medals, including a singles silver at Incheon 2014 and team golds in 2014 and 2023.

The 13-time national champion broke records with Dipika Pallikal as the pair won the 2022 World Doubles Championship mixed gold medal. Ghosal recently returned from retirement to take the Octane Sydney Classic 2025, his 11th PSA title. He also won a medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

Dipika Pallikal

India’s women’s squash torchbearer Dipika Pallikal has six Asian Games medals to her name, including singles bronze at Incheon 2014 and Jakarta 2018. In 2023, she and Harinder Pal Sandhu won the first Asian Games mixed doubles gold.

Pallikal took a break from competing between 2017-2020. She returned, focusing on doubles, and won two World Championship gold medals in 2022.

Joshna Chinappa

Joshna Chinappa rounds out India’s top-three elite with five Asian Games and Commonwealth Games medals alongside Pallikal. She is India’s first Asian squash champion, having won the 2017 Asian Individual Championships (repeated in 2019) and reached world No. 10 in 2016.

With speedy rising stars Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh maturing fast, Indian squash embarks on the Olympic era with unprecedented momentum and medal prospects.

Mahesh Mangaonkar

India’s squash landscape was forever revolutionized when Mumbai-native Mahesh Mangaonkar became a force to be reckoned with. This professional player, who will turn 30 on March 23, 2024, has led his country to victory in several international arenas.

Mangaonkar’s illustrious career is filled with accolades, including claiming the 2013 IMET Open, the first ever for an Indian player. His career as a junior player saw many impressive performances, including winning the Under-15 British Junior Open title in 2009.

In January 2015, Mangaonkar achieved the highest world ranking of his career, 44th in the Professional Squash Association rankings. Aside from personal achievements, he’s been important in team competitions, assisting India in winning gold medals at both the 2014 and 2022 Asian Games.

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