In a historic performance, national champions Velavan Senthilkumar and Anahat Singh secured victories in their respective men's and women's singles matches, propelling India to a commanding 3-0 win over two-time defending champions Egypt. This triumph propelled the hosts into the final of the Squash World Cup 2025, held at the Express Avenue Mall in Chennai on Saturday.
Senthilkumar delivered a dominant straight-sets 3-0 victory to set the tone for India. Anahat Singh, however, endured a gruelling battle, battling intensely to prevail 3-2 in a thrilling contest. Abhay Singh then clinched the tie with a hard-fought 3-1 win, ensuring India's maiden appearance in the final and marking a landmark achievement for the team.
Senthilkumar, 45th in the men’s rankings, fired India into the lead by beating world No. 96 Ibrahim Elkabbani 7-1, 7-3, 7-6 in the opening rubber. India’s top-ranked women’s player is at world No. 28,
Anahat Singh, at 17 the youngest player in the tournament and a World Cup debutant, extended the hosts’ lead to 2-0 with a hard-fought 6-7, 7-5, 7-3, 3-7, 7-3 victory over the 44th-ranked Nour Heikal. Abhay Singh then sealed the spot in the final by seeing off Adam Hawal 3-1 (7-5, 6-7, 7-5, 7-6).
This meant that Joshna Chinappa’s match against Nardine Garas was not needed.
This remarkable achievement represents India’s best-ever finish in the Squash World Cup since the event's inception in 1996, eclipsing the bronze medal secured in 2023. The hosts will now face Hong Kong, China, in a highly anticipated gold-medal match on Sunday at the Indian Squash Academy.
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Prior to the semi-final triumph, India dominated the group stage, defeating Switzerland and Brazil by identical 4-0 margins to advance to the quarter-finals. There, they maintained their unbeaten run with a convincing 3-0 victory over South Africa.
The 2025 edition, organised by World Squash, marks the fifth staging of the tournament and the third consecutive year it has been hosted in Chennai. Initially, twelve nations participated in the competition, divided into four groups of three teams each, with the top two from every group progressing to the quarter-finals.
This is India’s best-ever performance at the Squash World Cup, surpassing the semifinal appearance from 2023. India had lost to Malaysia and settled for a bronze medal at the same venue two years back.
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