The Indian men's basketball team has now reached the 76th position in the FIBA World Rankings after jumping five places. This rank jump comes after their top-notch performance at the Final FIBA Asian Qualifier match last month. The Indian men's team is among the highest jumpers in the world rankings update, which was released on March 28th. The team successfully surpassed Indonesia and is now rated 15th in the continental rankings. The Indian men had a successful excursion last month. The team qualified for the FIBA Asian Cup 2025 after topping their west zone group with two wins, including a tight triumph against higher-ranked Bahrain.
India has officially booked its place in the FIBA Asia Cup for the 11th consecutive time, continuing a proud streak that dates back to 2001. The qualification came on the back of two crucial victories in Manama, Bahrain. On March 21, India delivered a commanding 97–77 win over Iraq, followed by a thrilling 81–77 triumph against host nation Bahrain the very next day. India is now preparing for its 11th straight FIBA Asia Cup appearance and will be eager to break through the group stage for the first time in a decade.
India’s thrilling finish against world no. 66 Bahrain
In their nail-biting clash against Bahrain—ranked 66th globally and 81st before the qualifiers—India led by nine points entering the final quarter. However, Bahrain came back stronger and went ahead 77–75 with two minutes left on the clock. From the Indian side, Arvind Krishnan sank a clutch three-pointer to reclaim the lead and calmly hit two free throws in the closing seconds to seal the win.
Harsh Dagar was another standout performer, scoring 28 points with an impressive 6-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc. Kanwar Sandhu added 15 points, while Pranav Prince and Muin Bek Hafeez combined for 22 points and 16 rebounds, underscoring the team’s depth and versatility.
The performance not only boosted India’s ranking but also solidified its spot in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025, scheduled to take place in Jeddah from August 5 to 17. Additionally, this win has earned India a berth in the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers—keeping alive the dream of a historic first appearance on the World Cup stage.
