In yet another display of sheer dominance, the Indian men’s team dismantled Sri Lanka 100-40 to secure their place in the semi-finals of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025 on Friday (17).
Having registered an undefeated campaign so far, much like their female counterparts, the hosts were looking to seal their spot in the final four of the tournament as well. What stood in their way was their subcontinental neighbour Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka won the toss, electing to defend first, as the visitors sought to scope out the Indians’ lethal attack so far that had established them as one of the favourites to win it all.
For skipper Pratik Waikar and Co. the decision would do little to rattle any game plans they may have devised, as the hosts would start off in blistering fashion, running out the first batch of Lankan defenders within a mere minute.
The next batch of defenders for Sri Lanka — Wanga, Sasindu and Sthalka — would stand no chance against the unmatched pace of the hosts who would run them all out within 45 seconds.
The attacking onslaught would only continue, as the Waikar-led Indians would relentlessly chase down the Lankans, diving their way to the lead and finishing Turn 1 with a staggering lead of 58-0.
With the Lankans’ plan to explore and exploit the Indian attack having seemingly backfired on them, the onus shifted to their own attack to even the odds in Turn 2 and stay in the bout with a fighting chance.
The trusty defending duo of Waikar and Gowtham though would rain on their hopes, as the Indians would run out the clock out the gate, eating up almost three minutes of game time before finally being run out.
Despite Sri Lanka’s best efforts, the visitors would struggle to match the intensity of the Indian defenders as Turn 2 would end on a sombre note with the scores 58-18 as India retained a monster lead of 40 points.
But the job was far from over for India, who would continue to pile on the points in unforgiving fashion, running out six whole batches of defenders to notch a seemingly decisive 100-18 lead by the end of Trun 3.
With the finish line in sight, all India needed was to merely run the clock out in a similar fashion to their initial Turn, something that would be achieved without much resistance from the Lankans.
In a Turn that showcased their superior skill and agility, India sublimely dodged the Lankan attackers and ultimately punched their ticket to the semis with a stellar 100-40 win.
(News 18)
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