Unstoppable India sweep past Egypt to set up World Cup title clash

In a landmark moment for Indian squash, the national team booked its place in the Squash World Cup final for the first time ever, defeating defending champions Egypt 3-0 in a stunning semifinal at Chennai on Saturday.

India, seeded second in the tournament, outclassed two-time champions Egypt, who had previously lifted the title in 2012 and 2023. The emphatic victory sets up a historic final clash against Hong Kong, who defeated Japan in the other semifinal. The title match is scheduled for Sunday.

This achievement marks India’s best-ever performance at the World Cup, surpassing their semifinal finish in the 2023 edition, where they lost to Malaysia and settled for bronze.

The Indians set the tone early with Velavan Senthilkumar, ranked 45th globally, beating Egypt’s Ibrahim Elkabbani 3-0 (7-1, 7-3, 7-6) in the opening match. Momentum continued with 17-year-old Anahat Singh, India’s top-ranked woman at world No. 28, securing a hard-fought 3-2 (6-7, 7-5, 7-3, 3-7, 7-3) win over Egypt’s Nour Heikal. Making her World Cup debut, Anahat became the youngest player in the tournament to feature in the semifinals.

Abhay Singh delivered the decisive blow, defeating Adam Hawal 3-1 (7-5, 6-7, 7-5, 7-6), completing a clean sweep of the two-time champions. As a result, Joshna Chinappa did not need to play her match against Nardine Garas.

India’s campaign has been dominant throughout, remaining unbeaten in the tournament. The team crushed Switzerland and Brazil 4-0 in the group stage and overcame South Africa 3-0 in the quarterfinals.

The 2025 World Cup is being held in Chennai for the third consecutive edition, featuring 12 teams divided into four groups. The top two teams from each group advance to the final eight stage.

With history on their side and momentum firmly in their favor, India now aims to lift the prestigious title and cement its arrival on the global squash stage.