India has named an 18-member squad for the Commonwealth Cue Sports Championships, set to be held in Ahmedabad from 7 to 10 October 2025 — marking the first time the tournament comes to Indian soil. The second edition of the multi-discipline event will be staged at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex, drawing cueists from approximately 46 Commonwealth nations across five disciplines: English Billiards, Snooker, 10-Ball Pool, Heyball, and Blackball.

A Historic Occasion for Indian Cue Sports

The Championships are organised by Apex Sports Promotion and hosted by the Billiards & Snooker Federation of India (BSFI), under the endorsement of the World Confederation of Billiards Sports (WCBS) and Commonwealth Sport. Notably, the event forms a centrepiece of the BSFI's centenary celebrations, adding a historic dimension to an already significant tournament. This year's programme also marks the debut of Billiards as a medal discipline at the Championships.

India's Medal Pedigree from Mauritius

India arrives at the home edition with momentum, having secured five medals at the inaugural Championships held in Mauritius in 2025. The haul included gold for Vidya Pillai in Women's Heyball, silver for Shivam Arora in Men's Heyball, and silver for Chitra Magimairaj in Women's 10-Ball Pool. All three medallists have earned direct entries into the Ahmedabad edition and are expected to anchor India's medal challenge on home ground.

Pillai, the reigning Commonwealth Women's Heyball champion, sealed gold in Mauritius with a dramatic shootout victory over South Africa's Marina Jacobs. Speaking ahead of the Championships, she said, 'Winning the first Commonwealth title was a very special moment for me, but defending it in India makes this edition even more meaningful. We know the competition will be strong, with players coming from across the Commonwealth, but having the home crowd behind us can give us that extra push.'

Arora, who pushed Uganda's Ceaser Chandiga all the way in the Men's Heyball final in Mauritius, is similarly motivated. 'The silver medal in Mauritius gave me a lot of confidence, but it also left me wanting more. Playing the Commonwealth Championships in India, and particularly in Ahmedabad, gives us a completely different feeling,' he said.

Star-Studded Squad Across Disciplines

The women's contingent is headlined by Anupama Ramachandran, the reigning IBSF Women's World Snooker champion, who will lead India's English Billiards challenge alongside Revanna Umadevi. Keerthana Pandian, the 2026 Asian Women's Snooker champion, spearheads the Snooker campaign alongside Shruthi Lakshminarayanan and Ishika Shah. Chitra Magimairaj, a two-time World Ladies English Billiards champion, returns alongside Amee Kamani and Neena Praveen in 10-Ball Pool, while teenage prospect Natasha Chethan features in Blackball.

The men's squad balances experience with youth. Laxman Rawat arrives in strong form following a notable run at the 2026 WPA Heyball World Championships in Pune and will represent India in Snooker alongside Aditya Mehta. Siddharth Parikh and Rayaan Razmi will compete in Billiards, while Paras Gupta joins Arora in Heyball. Divya Sharma leads the men's 10-Ball Pool challenge, and Sundeep Gulati rounds out the squad in Blackball.

Full Squad

Men — Billiards: Siddharth Parikh, Rayaan Razmi | Snooker: Laxman Rawat, Aditya Mehta | Heyball: Shivam Arora (Direct Entry), Paras Gupta | 10-Ball Pool: Divya Sharma | Blackball: Sundeep Gulati

Women — Billiards: Anupama Ramachandran, Revanna Umadevi | Snooker: Keerthana Pandian, Shruthi Lakshminarayanan, Ishika Shah | Heyball: Vidya Pillai (Direct Entry), Amee Kamani | 10-Ball Pool: Chitra Magimairaj (Direct Entry), Neena Praveen | Blackball: Natasha Chethan

With 10 medal sets on offer and the rare advantage of a home crowd, India's cue sports contingent will be looking to significantly surpass its five-medal tally from the inaugural edition when competition begins on 7 October.