What's next for Indian men's volleyball team after AVC Men's Cup success?
(Courtesy :Â Volleyball World)
India recently clinched a historic bronze medal in the 2026 AVC Menâs Cup.
The Indian menâs volleyball team put on a stunning display in the AVC Menâs Cup 2026, finishing on the podium for the first time ever, in Amdavad, Gujarat.
They put on a scintillating performance in the pool stage, dropping a solitary set (against Chinese Taipei) across five matches, while winning in straight sets against New Zealand, Kazakhstan, Bahrain and Australia.
Entering as favourites in the semi-final, India failed to hold their nerves against eventual champions Indonesia in a thrilling five-setter. However, the Jerome-led side managed to hoist themselves up to prevail over Bahrain 3-1 in the third-place match.
By virtue of the result, India has now moved up from Number #58 to Number #42 in the Menâs Volleyball Rankings, their best-ever in over a decade.
Related: India surge up Volleyball World Rankings after historic bronze at 2026 AVC Menâs Cup
When will Indian menâs volleyball team be in action next?
Indiaâs performances ensured that a capacity crowd gathered for their matches, at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex. Additionally, lakhs of viewers tuned in to watch the action live on the Volleyball World YouTube Channel.
With the sport having garnered the limelight it deserves, all eyes are now on when the Dragan Mihailovic-coached outfit will be back in action.
They have two major events to look forward to:
Firstly, India would be playing at the AVC Volleyball Continental Championships 2026 in Fukuoka, scheduled from 4 September to 13 September.
The competition will include 12 teams- hosts Japan, Australia, Bahrain, China, India, Iran, Korea, New Zealand, Oman, Qatar, Chinese Taipei and Thailand.
The stakes are extremely high. The winner will gain a direct entry into Los Angeles Olympics 2028, while the top three teams will earn quota spots at the 2027 FIVB World Championship.
Ranked seventh in Asia currently, India have had only two appearances at the World Championships and none at the Olympics. They have participated in 19 editions in the tournament, which was first introduced in 1975.
Indiaâs best ever performance came in 2005, when they finished at the fourth spot.
Considering the quality of teams, they have a herculean task at hand again. However, they would not want to leave any stone unturned in their quest for a podium finish.
Following this, India would be seen at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with the sixteen-team menâs volleyball event scheduled from 27 September to 3 October.
Considering the teams mentioned above, the new additions are Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Philippines and Hong Kong, while Australia, New Zealand (both ineligible) and Oman (didnât qualify) wonât be seen.
India has played in all but three editions, since it was first played out in 1958, pocketing one silver medal and two bronze medals. They finished at the sixth spot in the previous instalment of the quadrennial extravaganza in Hangzhou.
Having gotten a kickstart at the AVC Menâs Cup, India would want to prove that this was not a once-in-a-blue-moon wonder. This was the exact kind of result needed at this juncture.
Now, with some more consistent performances, the Indian menâs volleyball team can potentially chart an upward course for the sport in the nation.
How did the Indian Menâs Volleyball Team perform at the recently concluded 2026 AVC Menâs Cup?
India finished with a historic bronze medal, their first ever, in the competition, with the highlight of their performance being the two victories over defending champions Bahrain.
When will the Indian menâs volleyball team be next in action?
Dragan Mihailovicâs side will return to action in September at the AVC Volleyball Continental Championships 2026.
What is the Indian menâs volleyball teamâs current ranking in World Volleyball leaderboard?
Following their historic bronze medal, India have climbed 16 spots to be ranked World No. 42 in the latest volleyball rankings.
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Kartik Warrier, a B.Tech Mechanical Engineering student at IIT Madras, is an ardent sports enthusiast. Through Khel Now, he gets to pursue his passion by closely following Indian athletes in sports like cricket, football, badminton, hockey, and table tennis.