Online Rankings: Nishaanth Shanmughasundaram’s Jaw-Dropping ₹1.97 Crore Sunday Score Makes Him Week’s Top Scorer & Boosts Him to POY #2; Neel Joshi Remains Unchallenged as POY King

In this feature, we bring you to the top three weekly, monthly, and yearly performers every Sunday. These rankings are based on cumulative winnings (cashes). However, the rankings only include players registered to our online ranking system, so hurry up and register if you haven’t signed up on PokerGuru yet!

Forget cricket; India is quickly becoming a poker powerhouse. And two homegrown heroes are leading the charge: Santhosh Suvarna, the high-roller extraordinaire making waves at the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP), and Neel Joshi, the young phenom who’s tearing up the online poker scene.

The 2024 WSOP has been a Santhosh Suvarna show. Hot on the heels of his jaw-dropping $5,834,816 win in the $250,000 Super High Roller for his third bracelet, Suvarna stormed the final table in Event #79: $50,000 High Roller PLO. With his consistent dominance across formats, this poker superstar is single-handedly putting India on the global poker map.

Meanwhile, back home, online poker action is thriving on platforms like Natural8 Indi and PokerBaazi. A new generation of poker stars is emerging to shake up the status quo, and leading this digital revolution is Young Gun Neel Joshi, formerly known only by his Natural8 India moniker “HiiiBarbie.” Since the start of 2024, Joshi has been unstoppable, racking up a mind-boggling ₹4.69 crores in annual winnings, including a staggering 11 seven-figure scores. His relentless dominance throughout the year, evidenced by his phenomenal graph on Natural8 India, has left his competitors in the dust in the Player of the Year race.

But Joshi isn’t the only online phenom setting the virtual felt ablaze! Nishaanth Shanmughasundaram (annual winnings – ₹2.74 Crores | weekly winnings – ₹1.97 Crores) is making a serious run for the title of India’s online poker king. This week, Shanmughasundaram achieved the unthinkable. He catapulted to poker superstardom with a career-defining victory in Natural8 India’s Beijing Mystery Bounty Millions, bagging a life-changing ₹1.97 Crores payday. This jaw-dropping sum is the second-largest online score ever recorded by an Indian player, surpassed only by Young Gun Aayush Arya’s legendary WSOP online bracelet win last year. This sensational triumph has propelled Shanmughasundaram into the exclusive and prestigious ‘₹2 Crore Club.’ But he didn’t stop there. He also clinched the title of week’s top scorer and soared to #2 on the annual cashes and profits charts, setting a new record for the highest-ever profits on the weekly leaderboard.

Shashank Chakravarthy (annual winnings – ₹1.80 Crores), the comeback kid, now finds himself at #3 in the POY race, facing a daunting challenge to reclaim his former glory. Meanwhile, Young Gun Gaurav Sood (annual winnings – ₹1.79 Crores), who’s been busy making his mark at the 2024 WSOP, has slipped to #4, his dreams of a fourth POY crown fading with each passing week.

Last week’s top dog, Mitesh Gupta (weekly winnings – ₹53.73 Lakhs), refused to relinquish his spotlight. He doubled down on his success with a stunning runner-up finish in Natural8 India’s Sunday Showdown 105, securing a career-best score and the #2 spot on this week’s leaderboard.

Rounding out the top three is Young Gun Anmol Mehta (weekly winnings – ₹19.52 Lakhs). His impressive second-place finish in the ninth annual Adda52 Mega Millions was the perfect springboard, propelling him onto the weekly leaderboard podium.

Weekly Online Rankings (June 30 – July 6)

Yearly Online Rankings (January 1 – July 6)

Weekly Online Rankings

1. Nishaanth Shanmughasundaram

Weekly Cashes – ₹1,97,39,510

Weekly Profit – ₹1,77,65,559

Points – N/A

Nishaanth Shanmughasundaram‘s mid-summer night dream became a reality last Sunday as he dominated Natural8 India’s Beijing Mystery Bounty Millions. His spectacular victory, earning him a life-changing ₹1.97 Crores, marks the second-highest Indian online score, only behind Young Gun Aayush Arya’s WSOP online bracelet victory last year.

Shanmughasundaram’s outstanding performance shattered records, with his weekly profits soaring past ₹1.78 Crores. This not only made him the week’s top scorer but also established a new record for the highest-ever profits on the weekly leaderboard, catapulting him to #2 in the POY standings.

Top Cashes This Week

– 1st in Natural8 India’s Beijing Mystery Bounty Millions for ₹1,97,39,510

2. Mitesh Gupta

Weekly Cashes – ₹53,73,451

Weekly Profit – ₹45,67,433

Points – N/A

Mitesh Gupta, the former MHW Colossus champion, is on an absolute tear. Following his jaw-dropping performance in Natural8 India’s Mystery Bounty Festival 260 last week, where he emerged as the top scorer, Gupta has once again outdone himself.

Gupta delivered a jaw-dropping performance in Natural8 India’s Sunday Showdown 105 this past Sunday. Facing a colossal field of 6,048 players, he battled his way to a second-place finish, earning a staggering ₹53.73 Lakhs—a new career high. This outstanding achievement also earned Gupta the #2 spot in the weekly rankings, with total profits amounting to an incredible ₹45.67 Lakhs.

Top Cashes This Week

– 2nd in Natural8 India’s Sunday Showdown 105 for ₹53,73,451

3. Anmol Mehta

Weekly Cashes – ₹19,51,563

Weekly Profit – ₹17,35,298

Points – N/A

Young Gun Anmol Mehta sent shockwaves through the virtual world with an electrifying week of play. He racked up an incredible ₹19.52 Lakhs in total winnings across twelve deep runs and the coveted #3 spot in the weekly rankings.

He kicked off his rampage with back-to-back runner-up finishes in Adda52’s Sunday Head Hunter and the prestigious ninth annual Mega Millions, the latter earning him his biggest payday of 2024.

Mehta continued his hot streak with a seventh-place finish in Adda52’s Knock Out Arena. Though he narrowly missed out on a victory multiple times, his stellar performance secured him a remarkable weekly profit of ₹17.35 Lakhs, proving he’s back in top form and ready to take on the best in the business.

Top Cashes This Week

– 2nd in Adda52’s Mega Millions for ₹15,13,798

– 2nd in Adda52’s Sunday Head Hunter for ₹2,97,901

The week’s other top scorers were Deepak Singh (weekly winnings – ₹18.74 Lakhs), Amit Kaushik (weekly winnings – ₹14.67 Lakhs) and Kovid Saraswat (weekly winnings – ₹13.77 Lakhs).

Yearly Online Rankings

1. Neel Joshi

Yearly Cashes – ₹4,68,90,778

Yearly Profit – ₹2,81,32,655

TLB Points – N/A

A poker phenom, hidden behind the playful moniker ‘HiiiBarbie,’ had been rewriting the rules of the game on Natural8 India, leaving even seasoned pros in a state of bewildered awe.

This enigmatic player crushed top tournaments for months, amassing a jaw-dropping ₹4.69 Crores in just six months. With eleven scores topping ₹1 Million and annual profits soaring to ₹2.81 Crores, ‘HiiiBarbie’ quickly became the talk of the virtual felt, sparking endless speculation about their true identity.

But a fortnight ago, the mystery unravelled. ‘HiiiBarbie’ is Neel Joshi, a 27-year-old poker wizard from Pune and a former PokerGuru Young Gun. Joshi’s meteoric rise has propelled him to the top of the Player of the Year rankings, outpacing established stars like Sashank Chakravarthy and even the legendary Gaurav Sood.

Despite his recent dominance, Joshi has hinted at a possible break from the online grind. This past week, he added a ‘modest’ ₹82,091 to his mountain of winnings, still maintaining an almost insurmountable ₹1.94 Crores lead over his closest rival, Nishaanth S.

With half of 2024 still to play, the question remains: will Joshi continue his reign atop the POY charts, or will a hungry challenger rise to claim his throne? Only time will tell.

Top Cashes This Year

– 1st in Natural8 India’s Bounty Hunters HR 525 for ₹53,44,245 on January 9

– 5th in Natural8 India’s Super Monday Monster Stack 1500 for ₹46,23,304 on April 8

– 1st in Natural8 India’s Daily Warm-Up 250 for ₹24,56,234 on May 12

– 2nd in Natural8 India’s Saturday Superstack 320 for ₹23,05,173 on May 25

– 2nd in Natural8 India’s 250 Sunday MONSTER Stack for ₹20,64,616 on March 10

– 2nd in Natural8 India’s CRAZY EIGHTS 88 for ₹20,25,293 on May 26

– 1st in Natural8 India’s Zodiac Main Event for ₹15,12,055 on May 12

– 3rd in Natural8 India’s WSOPC: Thursday Throwdown Bounty 150 for ₹16,04,670 on March 6

– 1st in Natural8 India’s WSOPC: 125 Spring Marathon for ₹12,45,314 on March 4

– 6th in Natural8 India’s Bounty Hunters MAIN EVENT 54 for ₹11,59,911 on March 2

2. Nishaanth Shanmughasundaram

Yearly Cashes – ₹2,74,14,523

Yearly Profit – ₹1,91,90,166

TLB Points – N/A

A new poker titan has emerged, shattering records and rewriting the rules of the game on Natural8 India. Nishaanth Shanmughasundaram made poker history this week, claiming a jaw-dropping 1.97 Crores in the Beijing Mystery Bounty Millions – the second-highest Indian online score in recent memory.

Shanmughasundaram, already a formidable force with multiple million-rupee paydays on Natural8 India, soared to unimaginable heights with this monumental victory. His total earnings on the platform have now skyrocketed to a staggering ₹2.55 Crores.

But this is just the beginning. Shanmughasundaram’s 2024 winnings now total ₹2.74 Crores, with profits reaching ₹1.92 Crores. This makes him only the second player to enter the exclusive ‘₹2 Crore Club’ for annual winnings, a feat previously achieved only by the phenomenal Young Gun Neel Joshi.

Now, as Shanmughasundaram stands at the #2 spot on the yearly cashes and profits charts, the poker world watches with bated breath. Could he be the one to dethrone the reigning champion, Neel Joshi?

Top Cashes This Year

– 1st in Natural8 India’s Beijing Mystery Bounty Millions for ₹1,97,39,510 on July 30

– 3rd in Natural8 India’s #15: Zodiac Happy New Year Celebration for ₹15,60,697 on February 11

– 466th in Natural8 India’s Global MILLION$ Mystery Bounty 525 for ₹12,09,913 on May 20

– 36th in Natural8 India’s Mystery MILLION$ Main Event for ₹9,70,112 on February 6

– 46th in Natural8 India’s Zodiac Rabbit Lucky for ₹7,04,404 on February 2

– 3rd in Spartan Poker’s Millionaire VII for ₹7,02,669 on March 19

– 2nd in Natural8 India’s Speed Racer Bounty Closer HR for ₹3,25,568 on June 13

3. Sashank Chakravarthy

Yearly Cashes – ₹1,80,35,434

Yearly Profit – ₹54,18,507

TLB Points – 32,442

Can Sashank Chakravarthy, the comeback kid, defy the odds and claim the POY throne? A fierce battle is brewing for the Player of the Year (POY) title, and Chakravarthy, known for his resilience, is not going down without a fight.

With Gaurav Sood‘s extended hiatus, Chakravarthy seemed destined for the #1 spot. However, the emergence of Neel Joshi, aka ‘HiiiBarbie,’ and Nishaanth S‘s colossal win last Sunday have pushed him down to POY #3, making his quest for the title more challenging than ever.

But Chakravarthy is no stranger to adversity. His 2024 performance has been nothing short of electrifying, with an impressive 11 titles, 20 podium finishes, and 30 final table appearances.

Even after a brief hiatus this fortnight, Chakravarthy’s annual earnings stand at a remarkable ₹1.80 Crores, with profits hitting ₹54.19 Lakhs. However, Joshi’s commanding lead and the ₹93.79 Lakhs gap between him and Nishaanth S present a formidable challenge.

The POY race is a marathon, not a sprint. Chakravarthy will need to summon all his skill, experience, and unwavering grit to close the substantial gap. Can he overcome the odds and stage a legendary comeback to claim the POY title?

Top Cashes This Year

– 1st in Spartan Poker’s Millionaire III for ₹16,00,007

– 4th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#92 HighRoller for ₹5,91,300

– 2nd in Adda52 Millions for ₹5,01,281

– 1st in PokerBaazi’s BSS HighRoller for ₹4,73,902

– 1st in PokerBaazi’s Endeavour HighRoller for ₹4,23,519

– 1st in Spartan Poker’s Ultron for ₹3,76,650

– 2nd in Spartan Poker’s The Elite for ₹3,58,700

– 1st in PokerBaazi’s The Endeavour for ₹3,39,949

Three-time POY Young Gun Gaurav Sood (annual winnings – ₹1.79 Crores), 2024 TLB #1 Mohak Kapoor (annual winnings – ₹1.77 Crores), and Sagar Raj (annual winnings – ₹1.76 Crores) are the year`s other top scorers.

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