The 2025 Indian Premier League has kicked off, but the real high-stakes action is unfolding at the National Poker Series India 2025! As this ₹100 Crores GTD monster series barrels towards its grand finale, Day 26 was pure, unadulterated poker adrenaline. With only three days left, the weight of every chip, every hand, and every agonizing decision was magnified tenfold.

Seven flagship tournaments lit up the PokerBaazi tables, fueled by qualifiers for the gigantic ₹10 Crores GTD NPS#191 Main Event and the ₹1 Crore GTD NPS#190 Golden Rush. The action was a non-stop barrage of bets, raises, and bluffs, with the stakes higher than they’ve ever been.

The scramble for leaderboard dominance has become a desperate, all-out war. Every player still in contention knows what’s on the line: a coveted seat at India’s first-ever National Poker Champion showdown in Goa next month. And that burning desire has translated into numbers that defy belief.

A mind-blowing 9,114 entries flooded in on Friday alone, pushing the day’s prize pool to a staggering ₹2.53 Crores – a full 26.50% above the ₹2 Crores guarantee. This is the second day in a row that payouts have exceeded the guarantee by over 25%, setting the stage for a final weekend that promises to be nothing short of explosive. The series has already paid out an unbelievable ₹88.33 Crores, leaving the original ₹78.75 Crores guarantee in the rearview mirror.

Day 26 was a victory lap for returning champions. Four of the seven players who claimed Gold did it for the second time this series. While Zarvan Tumboli grabbed headlines with his fifth NPS medal, four other seasoned players—Ayush Goyal, Bharat Vasan, Ridhav Chawla, and Sreekanth Narayan—each snagged their second Gold Medal, adding even more fuel to the leaderboard fire. Gopal Bajaj came this close to back-to-back Golds, but had to settle for consecutive Silver Medals instead—an impressive accomplishment nonetheless, not to mention Snehil Aggarwal, who picked up a medal for a record-breaking fourth consecutive day.

But Friday truly belonged to Priyanka Singh, who wrote an incredible comeback story, winning her first-ever NPS Gold Medal in the NPS#175 (PLO-5) HighRoller for a career-best ₹8.59 Lakhs, making her the day’s biggest winner. Earlier in the week, she’d grabbed a Silver in the NPS#162 (PLO-4) HighRoller. These two performances make her the only female player with two medals at this year’s NPS, and one of only nine from Karnataka to do so. Her amazing run has boosted her to #5 on the Karnataka State Leaderboard, and even though she’s still in the red overall, her recent surge suggests a dramatic turnaround!

PokerBaazi Team Pro Zarvan Tumboli was right behind Singh, grabbing an insane fifth medal this series, finishing runner-up in the (PLO-5) HighRoller for ₹5.43 Lakhs. He also cashed in three other events for a Friday payday of nearly ₹5.88 Lakhs. He’s now the only player with four Silver Medals this series and one of only seven players to win five or more medals. However, despite his consistency, he was knocked off the top of the Maharashtra State Leaderboard by Gopal Bajaj, who snagged two Silver Medals on Friday. With both players tied at 30 points, Bajaj now has the edge due to his two Golds (one more than Tumboli), making the race for the NPC seat from Maharashtra a real nail-biter.

Ayush Goyal, the Gold Medal winner from NPS#10 Megadive, delivered another dominant performance in the NPS#177 (7-Max) SPRINT, taking down his second Gold and scoring a career-best ₹4.77 Lakhs. Now ranked #2 on the Rajasthan State Leaderboard, he’s just two points behind state rival Anish Vijayvergia and ready to make a late-stage leaderboard charge. Ganesh Durgade also had a Friday to remember, earning a Silver in the (7-Max) SPRINT. With this, he completed his medal set for the series, having previously won a (NPS#30 Slamdunk) and a Bronze (NPS#43 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT). His Friday performance added nearly ₹3.61 Lakhs to his bankroll and bumped him up to #7 on the Maharashtra State Leaderboard.

Ridhav Chawla also maintained his winning ways, grabbing his second Gold Medal of the series in the NPS#174 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT, adding ₹3.85 Lakhs to his earnings. Already a Gold winner in the NPS#114 Mini HighRoller and a Silver Medallist in the NPS#78 Megadive, Chawla’s third medal of the series (fifth overall) has boosted him to #4 on the Delhi State Leaderboard with 25 points. With three more deep runs at the NPS, his Friday winnings came out to nearly ₹4.12 Lakhs, plus another ₹1.04 Lakhs from a fifth-place finish in Adda52’s The Ballers, for a total Friday haul of over ₹5.16 Lakhs.

Gopal Bajaj wasn’t far behind, pocketing two Silver Medals—₹2.68 Lakhs in the NPS#174 and ₹1.87 Lakhs in the NPS#173 Marathon—for a combined ₹4.59 Lakhs across three cashes. Already a two-time Gold Medal winner in this series, Bajaj has now become one of only nine players to win two medals in a single day. His latest results pushed him to the top of the Maharashtra State Leaderboard with 30 points, narrowly edging out PokerBaazi Team Pro Zarvan Tumboli. He now ranks #6 on the NPC Leaderboard and #19 on the PokerBaazi 2025 POY Leaderboard.

Bharat Vasan also doubled down by winning the NPS#176 Megadive, taking home ₹3.93 Lakhs — his biggest score of the year on the platform — and locking in his second Gold Medal of the series (fourth overall). The win, five other NPS cashes and a deep run in Adda52’s The Ballers resulted in a Friday take-home of just under ₹4.42 Lakhs. Now holding three NPS medals this series (nine NPS medals total), Vasan sits at #2 on the Uttar Pradesh State Leaderboard, tied at 25 points with three others in what has become a cutthroat race. He also jumped to #11 on the NPS Series Leaderboard. Vasan had to get past Snehil Aggarwal in the Megadive. Aggarwal added his second Silver Medal and an incredible sixth medal for the series (seven overall) with a ₹2.74 Lakhs payout. Aggarwal cashed in three other NPS events on Friday for total earnings of just under ₹3.20 Lakhs.

The other Gold Medal winners of the day included Tamil Nadu’s Aditya Sushant (Won NPS#171 (PLO-5) Knockout (KO) for ₹3 Lakhs), Kerela State Leaderboard topper Sreekanth Narayan (Won NPS#173 Marathon for ₹2.20 Lakhs) and Maharashtra’s Kamal Punjabi (Won NPS#172 Slamdunk for ₹1.69 Lakhs).

With the grand finale of NPS India 2025 just days away, the leaderboard drama is at an all-time high. Bhanu Prakash KC remains immovable at the top of the NPS Series Leaderboard, holding 35,940 points across a mind-blowing 146 cashes. Rising Star Aman Parakh, after holding the #3 spot for weeks, has finally climbed to #2, overtaking Vinay Rajpal with 32,930 points from 136 cashes. Rajpal is still within striking distance in third with 32,740 points from 152 cashes, all of them chasing that massive ₹30 Lakhs top prize.

The day was packed with notable victories across multiple platforms from Rising Star Ritwik Khanna, Praveen KR (who won 2 titles), Yogesh Kumar, Satya Pal Verma, Sahil Verma, Ramu Kushwaha, Jatin Sablani and Pranav Khandalkar.

Here are the Friday highlights!

PokerBaazi

NPS#175 (PLO-5) HighRoller – ₹60 Lakhs GTD

Buy-in – ₹11,500

Entries – 331

Re-entries – 438

Prize Pool – ₹76,90,000

Places Paid – 138

The National Poker Series India 2025 is in its final throes, and the heat radiating from the poker tables is intense enough to melt steel. Players are scrambling, clawing, and fighting for every last medal. Day 26, the fourth-to-last day, was another fiery chapter in this epic poker narrative. Seven flagship tournaments blazed across the virtual felt, along with qualifiers for the colossal ₹10 Crores GTD NPS#191 Main Event and the ₹1 Crore GTD NPS#190 Golden Rush. The action was non-stop, just like it’s been all series.

The fight for leaderboard supremacy is ferocious, with players putting their bodies on the line, all chasing a seat at India’s first-ever National Poker Champion showdown in Goa next month. The sheer excitement is reflected in the numbers: 9,114 entries flooded the PokerBaazi tables on Friday, sending the day’s prize pool skyrocketing to ₹2.53 Crores – a mind-blowing 26.50% above the ₹2 Crores guaranteed. This is the second day in a row the series has paid out over 25% more than promised, and it’s a safe bet this trend will continue through the final weekend. The series has now shelled out a breathtaking ₹88.33 Crores, completely obliterating the ₹78.75 Crores guaranteed so far.

While Day 26 saw a surge of repeat champions – four of the seven winners snagged their second Gold Medals – the real headline-grabber was Priyanka ‘prj12345’ Singh. She delivered a career-defining performance in the day’s showstopper, the ₹60 Lakhs GTD NPS#175 (PLO-5) HighRoller. After a gruelling 9.5 hours of high-stakes PLO combat, Singh conquered the guarantee-crushing field of 769 entries (331 unique), seizing her first-ever NPS Gold Medal and a personal-best ₹8.60 Lakhs, thanks to a four-way deal.

This win was more than just a title—it was validation, vindication, and a crowning achievement in what has been a long, winding poker journey.

Singh, a PokerBaazi veteran since December 2016, has experienced the highs and lows of the game. But this week, the tides turned. On Wednesday, she captured her first-ever NPS medal, a Silver, in the NPS#162 (PLO-4) HighRoller, pocketing a then-career-best ₹6.05 Lakhs (also part of a four-way deal). Riding that wave of momentum and clearly dialled into her PLO game, she went all the way on Friday, conquering the NPS#175 (PLO-5) HighRoller, eclipsing her previous best, and becoming the day’s biggest winner.

These consecutive achievements have cemented Singh’s place in the NPS India 2025 history books. She’s the only female player to win two medals at this year’s series, a standout among the five-odd women who’ve medalled. She also joins the ranks of 100 players who’ve achieved multiple-medal status, emphasizing the significance of her feat. Moreover, she’s one of only 17 players to win Gold for Karnataka and one of a select nine from that state to win multiple medals. This stunning run has catapulted her to #5 on the Karnataka State Leaderboard. While her overall record might still show losses, this powerful resurgence after a prolonged downswing is a crystal-clear indicator that she’s dramatically turning her game around.

Priyanka Singh’s PokerBaazi stats: Site Winnings: ₹76.39 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2025: #1 | Moves to #5 on the Karnataka State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 1 Gold & 1 Silver | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹21.76 Lakhs

Singh’s path to Gold was no walk in the park, especially with PokerBaazi Team Pro Zarvan ‘MomSaid5Bet’ Tumboli blocking her way! This well-known pro continued his phenomenal performance at the NPS India 2025, adding an amazing fifth medal to his collection last night in the NPS#175 (PLO-5) HighRoller.

Tumboli, a live MTT powerhouse, is more celebrated for his accomplishments at cash games and live tournaments throughout Asia. He’s a long-standing threat on the live scene, boasting two WPT titles, four APT trophies, and the Poker Dream 8 Malaysia Main Event title. But this NPS series represents a bold shift – a determined dive into the online MTT grind, and he’s been crushing it!

Before the NPS kicked off, he declared on social media his intention to play every single event – and 26 days later, he’s a man of his word, having registered for all 177 events thus far!

This dedication has yielded incredible results. Tumboli started with a bang, winning Gold in the NPS#6 Marathon. He swiftly followed it up with consecutive Silver Medals in the NPS#14 (PLO-6) Megadive and NPS#20 (PLO-5), racking up three medals within the series’ first three days – an incredible accomplishment. He added another Silver in NPS#67 Tuesday Tornado, claiming the top spot on the Maharashtra State Leaderboard.

In the NPS#175 (PLO-5) HighRoller, Tumboli came tantalizingly close to another Gold, finishing as runner-up and collecting ₹5.43 Lakhs after a four-way deal. This is his fifth medal of the series (one Gold and four Silver), putting him in an elite group of only seven players to win five or more medals this NPS. He stands alone as the only player to have accumulated four Silver Medals in this series.

Despite this incredible run, Tumboli relinquished the top spot on the Maharashtra State Leaderboard after a 15-day reign. Gopal Bajaj, who grabbed two Silver Medals last night (bringing his total to 4 medals: 2 Gold & 2 Silver) – making him one of ten players this series to claim two medals in a single night – now leads the pack. While both players have 30 points, Bajaj’s two Gold Medals (versus Tumboli’s one) give him the upper hand, placing him at #6 on the NPC Leaderboard. Tumboli now needs at least one more medal to grab a seat in the National Poker Champion showdown in Goa – the Maharashtra State Leaderboard top spot is almost certainly a ticket to that offline faceoff. Can Tumboli pull it off, will Bajaj hold him at bay, or will a dark horse emerge to claim that coveted seat? The suspense is building!

Tumboli clearly meant business when he committed to the entire NPS. His seven-event Friday grind resulted in four cashes, boosting his earnings by nearly ₹5.88 Lakhs. He’s currently ranked #19 on the NPS Series Leaderboard with 26,991 points from 106 cashes and has jumped to #11 on PokerBaazi’s 2025 POY Leaderboard, a noteworthy accomplishment considering his usual preference for live play.

> 2nd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#175 (PLO-5) HighRoller for ₹5,43,253* (four-way deal)

> 20th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#177 (6-Max) SPRINT for ₹27,364

> 68th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#176 Megadive for ₹10,610

> 71st in PokerBaazi’s NPS#171 (PLO-5) Knockout (KO) for ₹6,475

Zarvan Tumboli’s online stats (PokerBaazi, Adda52 and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹1.94 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹36.13 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2025: #1 | Moves #2 on the Maharashtra State Leaderboard | Moves to #19 on the NPS Series Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 1 Gold & 4 Silver | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹42.90 Lakhs | Moves to #11 on PokerBaazi’s 2025 POY Leaderboard

The NPS#5 Inaugural Gold Medallist, Prince ‘NaNki’ Singh, also came within reach of his third career Gold last night (his second Gold Medal of the series). Entering the fray twice, he finished third in the NPS#175 (PLO-5) HighRoller, taking home ₹5.60 Lakhs (four-way deal) along with a Bronze Medal (his second career Bronze and fourth medal in total). This made him one of 100 players with the rare distinction of multiple medals in this series and the third player from Bihar to achieve this, boosting him to #3 on the state leaderboard.

Singh scored in four additional NPS events, resulting in total Friday winnings close to a lavish ₹5.89 Lakhs, leaping to #44 on PokerBaazi’s 2025 POY Leaderboard.

> 3rd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#175 (PLO-5) HighRoller for ₹5,59,983* (four-way deal)

> 73rd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#170 (7-Max) SPRINT for ₹9,585

> 212th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#169 Deepdive for ₹6,840

> 153rd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#171 (PLO-5) Knockout (KO) for ₹6,421

> 116th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#174 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT for ₹5,827

Prince Singh’s online stats (PokerBaazi, Adda52 and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹3.63 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹1.09 Crores | Titles Won in 2025: #6 | Moves #3 on the Bihar State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 2 Gold & 2 Bronze | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹37.50 Lakhs | Moves to #44 on PokerBaazi’s 2025 POY Leaderboard

Arman ‘qbranch’ Khan (opted out of our tracking), known for conquering the 2022 APT Online India Sunday Major trophy and a recent NPS#54 Big Knockout (PKO) Silver Medallist, finished fourth in the NPS#175 (PLO-5) HighRoller, pocketing ₹5.03 Lakhs from the deal – his fourth-largest score on PokerBaazi. An additional cash finish pushed his Friday take to over ₹5.10 Lakhs.

Arman Khan’s NPS stats: Moves to #5 on the Chandigarh State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 1 Silver | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹23.59 Lakhs

The NPS#175 (PLO-5) HighRoller final table also featured strong performances by NPS#154 Big Knockout (PKO) Gold Medallist Prashanth ‘mcp1212’ Chandrasekhar (5th for ₹2.75 Lakhs) and ‘nachos‘ (6th for ₹2.08 Lakhs).

With a ₹11,500 buy-in, the NPS#175 (PLO-5) HighRoller was, without a doubt, the biggest draw of the day at the NPS, and the event delivered on all counts. It smashed its advertised guarantee by over 28%, generating a blazing ₹76.90 Lakhs prize pool. The top 138 finishers all walked away with a piece of the pie, with even a min-cash worth ₹19,225, a clear sign that the final weekend of the NPS India 2025 will be one for the ages.

Final Table Results

1. Priyanka ‘prj12345’ Singh – ₹8,59,628*
2. Zarvan ‘MomSaid5Bet’ Tumboli – ₹5,43,253*
3. Prince ‘NaNki’ Singh – ₹5,59,983*
4. Arman ‘qbranch’ Khan – ₹5,02,551*
5. Prashanth ‘mcp1212’ Chandrasekhar – ₹2,74,533
6. nachos – ₹2,07,630

*denotes a four-way deal

NPS#177 (7-Max) SPRINT – ₹30 Lakhs GTD

Buy-in – ₹3,450

Entries – 628

Re-entries – 754

Prize Pool – ₹41,46,000

Places Paid – 226

The NPS India 2025 is speeding toward a dramatic finish, and the desperation to snag those coveted medals is at an all-time high! We’re down to the wire, with just three days left, and Day 26 was an all-out detonation. Forget modest gains – the guaranteed prize pool wasn’t just beaten; it was utterly demolished by more than 25% for the second day running, resulting in a staggering ₹2.53 Crores paid out, dwarfing the ₹2 Crores that were initially on offer.

Day 26 was defined by players going for broke. A remarkable four of the seven champions locked in their second Gold Medal of the series. Among these repeat champions was Ayush ‘ClassMonitor’ Goyal, who orchestrated yet another poker clinic in PokerBaazi’s ₹30 Lakhs GTD NPS#177 (7-Max) SPRINT, taking home a career-high ₹4.77 Lakhs and, of course, that gleaming second Gold Medal.

Friday’s NPS#177 (7-Max) SPRINT was the day’s grand finale, kicking off at the usual 9:30 PM. But with the earlier events going nuclear, it was clear this was going to be big. And it was. A colossal 1,382 entries (628 unique) crammed in, ready for a late-night brawl. After seven hours and eleven minutes of intense, grinding poker, Goyal – after needing five entries to get his engine running – crushed the massive field, grabbing his second career NPS Gold Medal. He even managed a deep run in the NPS#173 Marathon (172nd for ₹2,917), taking his total Friday earnings to nearly ₹4.80 Lakhs.

Goyal’s story is one of the many inspiring narratives unfolding at this year’s NPS. He arrived with zero medals and is now sporting a pair of Golds! He struck early, grabbing his first Gold in the NPS#10 Megadive on the series’ second day. Since then, he’s been a constant presence, participating in 161 events and cashing in over half (63).

He’s had five final table appearances just this season – his most recent before this in the NPS#170 (7-Max) SPRINT on Thursday – and this latest win catapults him to #2 on the Rajasthan State Leaderboard with 20 points. He’s breathing down the neck of state leaderboard frontrunner Anish Vijayvergia, who’s only two points ahead. One more medal in these final three days could completely rewrite the script, especially with Vijayvergiya already sitting pretty at #8 on the NPC Leaderboard, suggesting a strong chance of the Rajasthan Leaderboard king making that National Poker Champion face-off in Goa.

Ayush Goyal’s online stats (PokerBaazi and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹83.56 Lakhs | Lifetime Profits: ₹17.70 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2025: #3 | Moves to #2 on the Rajasthan State Leaderboard | Moves to #43 on the NPS Series Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 2 Gold | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹23.58 Lakhs

Ganesh ‘Ganesh24’ Durgade, a PokerBaazi mid-stakes regular with a proven track record at the NPS (four medals from previous editions), also made serious noise in the NPS#177 (7-Max) SPRINT. And this time, he completed his collection. Durgade had already snatched a Gold in the NPS#30 Slamdunk and a Bronze in the NPS#43 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT. Friday night, he snagged the Silver in the (7-Max) SPRINT (his third medal of the series and seventh overall), padding his bankroll by ₹3.33 Lakhs and bringing his Friday loot to just shy of ₹3.61 Lakhs from four deep runs. He’s now climbed to #7 on the Maharashtra State Leaderboard, sitting at 17 points, though he has some serious ground to make up on the leaders.

> 2nd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#177 (6-Max) SPRINT for ₹3,32,509

> 52nd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#174 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT for ₹13,919

> 66th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#171 (PLO-5) Knockout (KO) for ₹10,029

> 66th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#172 Slamdunk for ₹4,500

Ganesh Durgade’s online stats (PokerBaazi and Adda52): Lifetime Winnings: ₹3.52 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹48.60 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2025: #6 | Moves to #7 on the Maharashtra State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 1 Gold, 2 Silver & 4 Bronze | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹53.99 Lakhs | Moves #73 in PokerBaazi’s 2025 POY Leaderboard

Unmesh ‘Unmesh’ Nair, another online grinder, locked down the third-place spot on the NPS#177 (7-Max) SPRINT podium. He scored a career-best ₹2.56 Lakhs, earning his second Bronze of the series after a similar finish in the NPS#70 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT.

Nair also put in some serious work, notching five deep runs (including a final table finish in NPS#171 (PLO-5) Knockout (KO)), and padded his bankroll with close to ₹3.35 Lakhs. He’s rocketed to #3 on the Kerala State Leaderboard, a leaderboard currently dominated by Sreekanth Narayan, who boasts a five-medal collection (including his second Gold last night) and 32 points, making him a near-certainty for the NPC face-off!

> 3rd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#177 (7-Max) SPRINT for ₹2,55,808

> 6th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#171 (PLO-5) Knockout (KO) for ₹65,437

> 173rd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#174 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT for ₹5,827

> 179th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#176 Megadive for ₹4,792

> 112th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#172 Slamdunk for ₹2,850

Unmesh Nair’s online stats (PokerBaazi and Adda52): Lifetime Winnings: ₹1.91 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹78.93 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2025: #4 | Moves to #3 on the Kerela State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 2 Bronze | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹20.72 Lakhs

The NPS#177 (7-Max) SPRINT final table was stacked. Clinton ‘OnlyTens’ Tavares finished fourth, taking home ₹1.87 Lakhs. Vikhyat ‘supersaiyan57’ Ahlawat, the current Uttar Pradesh State Leaderboard leader and a two-time Gold Medallist (NPS#12 Monday Marathon and NPS#29 (7-Max) SPRINT), came in fifth, pocketing ₹1.36 Lakh. Nandan ‘ragemonster’ Pugalia, already holding a Bronze from the NPS#154 Big Knockout (PKO), finished sixth for ₹99,504. And Abhijeet ‘ERROR404’ Kumar, the NPS#8 (4-Max) Hyper SPRINT Gold Medallist, rounded out the final table in seventh place, earning ₹76,286.

And, in a pattern that’s becoming the norm in these final, frantic days of the NPS India 2025, the ₹3,450 buy-in NPS#177 (7-Max) SPRINT didn’t just surpass its guarantee, it set it ablaze. The event generated a fiery ₹41.46 Lakhs prize pool – a whopping 38% more than promised. The top 226 finishers all walked away with something, with a minimum payout of ₹5,804. This is precisely the kind of explosive energy we expect as this historic series approaches its grand climax.

Final Table Results

1. Ayush ‘ClassMonitor’ Goyal – ₹4,76,790
2. Ganesh ‘Ganesh24’ Durgade – ₹3,32,509
3. Unmesh ‘Unmesh’ Nair – ₹2,55,808
4. Clinton ‘OnlyTens’ Tavares – ₹1,87,399
5. Vikhyat ‘supersaiyan57’ Ahlawat – ₹1,35,989
6. Nandan ‘ragemonster’ Pugalia – ₹99,504
7. Abhijeet ‘ERROR404’ Kumar – ₹76,286

NPS#176 Megadive – ₹25 Lakhs GTD

Buy-in – ₹2,875

Entries – 659

Re- entries – 710

Prize Pool – ₹34,22,500

Places Paid – 226

It’s a full-court press as the record-smashing NPS India 2025 charges through its closing stretch. Friday, Day 26, saw the action cranked up even higher, with guarantees getting crushed left and right. The clock is ticking down to grab one of those final 12 golden tickets in the National Poker Champion showdown in Goa, and with the fresh “Kya Poker Khelta Hai Tu” campaign set to ignite the IPL 2025 broadcast on Jio Hotstar, PokerBaazi is going all-in to cement its position as the top dog in the Indian online poker scene.

But Friday belonged to some familiar faces making another power play, and among them was Bharat ‘Thinkfloyd’ Vasan, who roared onto the scene, dominating PokerBaazi’s ₹25 Lakhs GTD NPS#176 Megadive and making a strong case for his own spot in that Goa finale.

Vasan is practically PokerBaazi royalty – the 2024 Indian Poker Masters leaderboard king, entering this year’s series with a trophy cabinet already gleaming with six NPS medals! He’d already snagged a Silver in the NPS#13 Deepdive and a Gold in the NPS#151 Deepdive. Friday night, he doubled down on that success, conquering a massive, guarantee-busting 1,369-entry field (659 unique) in the 8:30 PM NPS#176 Megadive. The event lived up to its name, stretching over a gruelling 9.5 hours. When the dust settled, it was Vasan standing tall, pocketing a hefty ₹3.94 Lakhs – his biggest score of the year on the platform, achieved with just two entries. This win delivered his second NPS Gold of the series (his fourth Gold overall) and his third NPS medal of the year (bringing his total medal count to a staggering nine overall).

This win makes Vasan one of 100 players to grab multiple medals this series and the 20th from Uttar Pradesh to strike Gold. His two-medal collection now catapults him to #2 on the Uttar Pradesh State Leaderboard, trailing only Vikhyat Ahlawat. With Vasan, Ahlawat, Arush Pratap, and Nitesh Katiyar all locked at 25 points, the Uttar Pradesh leaderboard has become a no-holds-barred war, a battle that promises to go down to the last hand.

Vasan’s ambition wasn’t limited to the Megadive. He cashed in five other NPS events (going deep in all but one of the day`s featured tournaments) and even made a deep run in Adda52’s The Ballers, resulting in a Friday haul that fell just short of ₹4.42 Lakhs. His tireless efforts have yielded rich rewards — with a mind-boggling 118 cashes, he’s now #11 on the NPS Series Leaderboard with 28,560 points, and you can bet he’ll be looking to climb even higher in these final days!

> 1st in PokerBaazi’s NPS#176 Deepdive for ₹3,93,588

> 22nd in Adda52’s The Ballers for ₹21,589

> 70th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#174 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT for ₹10,035

> 74th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#171 (PLO-5) Knockout (KO) for ₹6,475

> 163rd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#177 (6-Max) SPRINT for ₹5,804

> 185th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#173 Marathon for ₹2,917

> 236th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#172 Slamdunk for ₹1,500

Bharat Vasan’s NPS stats: Moves to #2 on the Uttar Pradesh State Leaderboard | Moves to #11 on the NPS Series Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 4 Gold, 3 Silver & 2 Bronze | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹78 Lakhs

The NPS#176 Megadive ended in a head-to-head battle between two of the series’ most dominant players: Bharat Vasan and Snehil ‘GTORanges’ Aggarwal. Aggarwal entered the Megadive with guns blazing, aiming for a record-breaking fourth Gold of the series. He fought like a lion but narrowly missed the win, settling for his second Silver Medal (his seventh NPS medal overall and sixth of the series) along with a substantial ₹2.74 Lakhs.

Aggarwal, who had just one medal before the series, has been on a heater of a lifetime! He scored a Gold in the NPS#14 (PLO-6) Megadive, followed by a Bronze in the NPS#35 Marathon. This week, he’s shifted into hyperdrive – grabbing a Bronze in Tuesday’s NPS#155 (PLO-5) Knockout (PKO), then delivering a breathtaking performance on Wednesday with two medals in a single night: a Gold in NPS#162 (PLO-4) HighRoller (now-revoked) and a Bronze in NPS#163 (6-Max) Hyper SPRINT. Aggarwal now holds the record for being the first-ever player in NPS history to win medals on four consecutive days.

This result further tightens Aggarwal`s grip on the #1 spot on the Haryana State Leaderboard, where he now holds a commanding 31 points, miles ahead of Mohit Mehta and Mayank Jaggi (both at 19 points). He’s also holding strong at #5 on the NPC Leaderboard!

Aggarwal has been a relentless machine. He’s participated in 176 of the 177 NPS events so far, cashing in an unbelievable 119 of them. His NPS 2025 winnings have reached a staggering ₹44.10 Lakhs, and his all-time NPS earnings now stand at an impressive ₹55.72 Lakhs.

Staying true to his reputation, Aggarwal cashed in three additional NPS events on Day 26 for a total Friday payday of just under ₹3.20 Lakhs. He currently occupies the #5 spot on the NPS Series Leaderboard with 30,100 points from 118 cashes and #15 on PokerBaazi’s 2025 POY Leaderboard.

> 2nd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#176 Megadive for ₹2,74,485

> 53rd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#175 (PLO-5) HighRoller for ₹38,450

> 200th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#171 (PLO-5) Knockout (KO) for ₹3,885

> 159th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#172 Slamdunk for ₹2,850

Snehil Aggarwal’s online stats (PokerBaazi, Adda52, PokerStars India and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹4.03 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹70.57 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2025: #4 | Ranked #1 on the Haryana State Leaderboard | Ranked #5 on the NPC Leaderboard | Ranked #5 on the NPS Series Leaderboard | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹55.72 Lakhs | Moves to #15 on #PokerBaazi’s 2025 POY Leaderboard

And adding even more fuel to the fire, Young Gun Shardul ‘duuurrrr’ Parthasarathi, the Mumbai-based poker sensation, continued his impressive streak at NPS India 2025. He has also completely rewritten his NPS legacy, going from zero medals at the series’ start to four now. After two close Silver Medal finishes in the NPS#91 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT and the NPS#153 (4-Max) Hyper and a Bronze in the NPS#26 (7-Max) Championship, , Parthasarathi added another medal to his expanding collection.

Friday night, he notched his second Bronze of the year – and fourth NPS medal overall – with a third-place finish in NPS#176 Megadive, claiming ₹2.11 Lakhs for his efforts.

But the grind didn’t stop there. Parthasarathi cashed in four more events on the day, rounding out his Friday winnings at over ₹2.59 Lakhs. His consistent deep runs and sheer volume have earned him the #26 spot on the NPS Series Leaderboard, and he’s now cracked into the top 15 on the Maharashtra State Leaderboard, landing at #14 with, coincidentally, 14 points, though still far behind the leaders.

> 3rd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#176 Megadive for ₹2,11,168

> 67th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#175 (PLO-5) HighRoller for ₹29,991

> 133rd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#177 (6-Max) SPRINT for ₹7,877

> 166th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#174 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT for ₹5,827

> 178th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#171 (PLO-5) Knockout (KO) for ₹4,385

Shardul Parthasarathi’s online stats (PokerBaazi, Adda52 and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹13.28 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹4.08 Crores | Titles Won in 2025: #1 | Ranked #14 on the Maharashtra State Leaderboard | Moves to #26 on the NPS Series Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 2 Silver and 2 Bronze | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹65.72 Lakhs

The NPS#176 Megadive final table was brimming with other top talents, including the NPS#15 Slamdunk and NPS#137 Sunday Kickoff Gold Medallist Arush ‘arush20000’ Pratap (5th for ₹1.12 Lakhs), NPS#87 (7-Max) Friday Freestyle Silver Medallist ‘High Roller Specialist’ Karan ‘collingwood’ Sitlani (6th for ₹82,140), NPS#152 Megadive Gold Medallist ‘Ladynorthtower’ (6th for ₹62,974), and recent DPT XPress Main Event champion Samyak ‘stonedurrr’ Sethi (8th for ₹48,942).

Just like most of the other NPS flagship events of the day, the ₹2,875 buy-in NPS#176 Megadive blew its advertised guarantee out of the water, generating a sizzling ₹34.23 Lakhs prize pool – almost 37% more than promised. The competition was intense, with the top 226 players earning at least ₹4,792, proving that the records will continue to tumble even in the closing days of the NPS India 2025.

Final Table Results

1. Bharat ‘Thinkfloyd’ Vasan – ₹3,93,588
2. Snehil ‘GTORanges’ Aggarwal – ₹2,74,485
3. Shardul ‘duuurrrr’ Parthasarathi – ₹2,11,168
4. KHATIDRAGON – ₹1,54,697
5. Arush ‘arush20000’ Pratap – ₹1,12,258
6. Karan ‘collingwood’ Sitlani – ₹82,140
7. Ladynorthtower – ₹62,974
8. Samyak ‘stonedurrr’ Sethi – ₹48,942

NPS #174 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT – ₹25 Lakhs GTD

Buy-in – ₹3,450

Entries – 453

Re-entries – 626

Prize Pool – ₹32,37,000

Places Paid – 186

The colossal NPS India 2025 is down to the wire, with the finish line in sight on Monday – but don’t expect anyone to take their foot off the gas! Friday, Day 26, was another day of shattered guarantees, and among the four players snagging their second Gold Medals was Delhi’s own Ridhav ‘Rids’ Chawla. This online powerhouse, a former The MoneyMaker champion, torched PokerBaazi’s ₹25 Lakhs GTD NPS#174 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT, adding another golden chapter to his poker story, following his career-best Gold win in the NPS#114 Mini High Roller last Tuesday!

Chawla’s been playing a calculated game, also holding a Silver Medal from the NPS#78 Megadive. But Friday was all about making a statement. He unleashed a performance for the books in the 6:30 PM turbo-charged NPS #174 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT, firing five bullets to get the job done. He outlasted a guarantee-crushing field of 453 players (1,079 total entries), reaching the top spot in a rapid-fire showdown that wrapped up in four hours and 11 minutes! The victory brought him his third-career NPS Gold medal (his second Gold and third medal of the series, and fifth overall) and a sweet ₹3.86 Lakhs to pad his bankroll!

This three-medal collection has Chawla sitting pretty at #4 on the Delhi State Leaderboard with 25 points, but he’s still staring down a 10-point gap from the current leader, three-time Gold Medallist Saahib Bawa. More medals are a must if he wants to punch his ticket to the NPC showdown in Goa.

And the winnings didn’t stop there! Chawla added three more NPS cashes for a total Friday NPS haul of nearly ₹4.12 Lakhs. But Chawla’s a grinder through and through, and he went on to finish fifth in Adda52’s The Ballers, adding another ₹1.05 Lakhs for a total take-home of over ₹5.16 Lakhs. This incredible run also bumped him up to #28 on PokerBaazi’s 2025 POY Leaderboard.

> 1st in PokerBaazi’s NPS#174 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT for ₹3,85,850

> 5th in Adda52’s The Ballers for ₹1,04,698

> 30th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#177 (6-Max) SPRINT for ₹20,730

> 184th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#173 Marathon for ₹2,920

> 192nd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#172 Slamdunk for ₹2,100

Ridhav Chawla’s online stats (PokerBaazi, Adda52 and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹2.07 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹64.79 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2025: #2 | Moves to #4 on the Delhi State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 3 Gold, 1 Silver & 1 Bronze | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹46.57 Lakhs | Moves to #28 on PokerBaazi’s 2025 POY Leaderboard

Then there was Gopal ‘AiDarwin’ Bajaj, the young poker phenomenon from Maharashtra and an NPS newcomer, who had a score to settle – he was on a mission to conquer the state leaderboard! A proven champion with a trophy case already overflowing with NPS medals, four from the current series, including two Golds in NPS#47 Slamdunk and NPS#73 Marathon.

Bajaj tacked on another two Silvers to his haul last night, finishing runner-up in both the NPS#174 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT (₹2.68 Lakhs), where he fired four bullets and in the NPS#173 Marathon (₹1.87 Lakhs), after three entries. This places him among a select group of just nine players to win two medals in a single day in this series! With an extra cash finish thrown in, Bajaj’s Friday winnings added up to a delicious almost ₹4.59 Lakhs.

These back-to-back Silver Medals have Bajaj now commanding the Maharashtra State Leaderboard with 30 points, dethroning long-standing leader PokerBaazi Team Pro Zarvan Tumboli after his 15-day rule. He’s also in a tense standoff with Tumboli (who boasts the same point total with a Gold and four Silvers – one of those Silvers earned last night), but Bajaj’s two Golds give him the upper hand. It’s going to be a white-knuckle race to see who ultimately claims that NPC seat in this fierce rivalry! On top of that, Bajaj is now #6 on the NPC Leaderboard and #19 on PokerBaazi`s 2025 POY Leaderboard.

> 2nd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#174 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT for ₹2,68,114

> 2nd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#173 Marathon for ₹1,87,028

> 90th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#159 Slamdunk for ₹3,600

Gopal Bajaj’s online stats (PokerBaazi, Adda52, PokerStars India and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹6.62 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹2.21 Crores | Titles Won in 2025: #3 | Moves to #1 on the Maharashtra State Leaderboard | Moves to #6 on the NPC Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 2 Gold & 2 Silver | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹26.64 Lakhs

Joining Chawla and Bajaj on the NPS#174 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT podium was ‘Sanoritaa,’ a player who’s only been active since July 2022. They fired two bullets in the fast-paced event, earning their first-ever NPS medal, a gleaming Bronze and a site-best ₹2.05 Lakhs – wiping out almost 25% of their previous losses on the platform. This top-three finish also landed them at #21 on the Rajasthan State Leaderboard.

Sanoritaa’s PokerBaazi stats: Site Winnings: ₹9.96 Lakhs | Moves to #21 on the Rajasthan State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 1 Bronze | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹4.34 Lakhs

The NPS#174 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT final table also featured determined runs by NPS#136 Marathon Silver Medallist Nikesh ‘Durr102’ Chawla (4th for ₹1.53 Lakhs) and Sagar ‘Thefatfish87’ Suri (5th for ₹1.11 Lakhs).

In line with the Hyper events throughout NPS India 2025, and adding to a day overflowing with shattered guarantees, the NPS#174 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT, with its ₹3,450 buy-in, was another huge hit. It obliterated its guarantee, creating a juicy ₹32.37 Lakhs prize pool – over 29% larger than the promised kitty. The tournament paid out the top 186 players, each locking in at least ₹5,827, keeping the record-breaking momentum alive as this incredible series races towards its grand finale.

Final Table Results

1. Ridhav ‘Rids’ Chawla – ₹3,85,850
2. Gopal ‘AiDarwin’ Bajaj – ₹2,68,024
3. Sanoritaa – ₹2,04,578
4. Nikesh ‘Durr102’ Chawla – ₹1,53,434
5. Sagar ‘Thefatfish87’ Suri – ₹1,10,705

NPS#171 (PLO-5) Knockout (KO) – ₹25 Lakhs GTD

Buy-in – ₹2,875

Entries – 443

Re- entries – 852

Prize Pool – ₹32,37,500

Places Paid – 219

The NPS India 2025 is delivering one knockout performance after another – and Friday was another round of pure poker fireworks! With the series hurtling towards its conclusion, Aditya ‘gangajal’ Sushant, one of original Young Guns, India’s first-ever WSOP bracelet winner, and a two-time The MoneyMaker champion, roared back into the spotlight!

Known for epic performances like winning the 2019 Diwali Rush Main Event and his runner-up finish in the 2022 Baazi Poker Tour Main Event, Sushant finally ended a long six-month title drought – his last victory was in Adda52’s The Ballers last September.

He’s been hunting for that breakthrough, and Friday night, he found it. His comeback vehicle was PokerBaazi`s gritty, grind-heavy ₹25 Lakhs GTD NPS#171 (PLO-5) Knockout (KO) – the opening salvo on Day 26 of the NPS India 2025. With a ₹2,875 buy-in and a guarantee-crushing 1,295-entry field (443 unique), the stage was set for a classic. Sushant, undeterred by the competition, fired two bullets and endured a gruelling ten-hour-plus battle to seize the crown – collecting ₹3.06 Lakhs (₹6,000 in bounties), his biggest score of the year on PokerBaazi, his first medal of the series (a Gold!), and his third NPS medal overall. A long-awaited return to the winner’s circle, and executed with style!

But the night didn’t end there. Sushant went all-in on the NPS grind, cashing in four more NPS events for a Friday windfall of over ₹3.25 Lakhs. That surge sent him rocketing up to #27 on the NPS Series Leaderboard – fueled by an astounding 114 cashes from 176 events played – and to #87 on PokerBaazi’s 2025 POY Leaderboard.

On the Tamil Nadu State Leaderboard, Sushant now finds himself firmly in the #4 spot with 10 points, right in the middle of a heated intra-state battle. Ashish Munot still leads with 17 points, but Aniket Jain (12 points) and Raghav Ananth (11 points) are in hot pursuit, with Sushant now a serious threat right behind them. With this Gold now providing a massive boost, the final stretch of this high-stakes series promises even more drama.

> 1st in PokerBaazi’s NPS#171 (PLO-5) Knockout (KO) for ₹3,05,922

> 188th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#177 (6-Max) SPRINT for ₹5,804

> 92nd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#173 Marathon for ₹5,209

> 220th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#176 Megadive for ₹4,792

> 133rd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#172 Slamdunk for ₹2,850

Aditya Sushant’s online stats (PokerBaazi, Adda52 and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹9.67 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹3.86 Crores | Titles Won in 2025: #1 | Moves to #4 on the Tamil Nadu State Leaderboard | Moves to #27 on the NPS Series Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 1 Gold | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹23.34 Lakhs

Kritagya ‘Foldnhihota’ Sharma, fresh off a stunning victory in the NPS#82 Mega Rush and a string of solid finishes, came incredibly close to claiming Gold again in the NPS#171 (PLO-5) Knockout (KO). After fighting through the vast field with four entries, Sharma just missed the top spot, finishing runner-up and collecting a hefty ₹2.24 Lakhs, including ₹15,000 in bounties – his second career NPS Silver Medal (also his second medal of the series). This boosted him on the Delhi State Leaderboard, where he now sits at #11.

Sharma also snagged another cash in NPS#177 (6-Max) SPRINT, finishing 117th for ₹7,877, bringing his total Friday winnings to over ₹2.31 Lakhs.

Kritagya Sharma’s NPS stats: Moves to #11 on the Delhi State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 2 Gold, 2 Silver & 1 Bronze | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹66.19 Lakhs

Adding to Maharashtra’s medal count, ‘makk02’ made a big splash on the NPS#171 (PLO-5) Knockout (KO) podium. After already reaching the final table of NPS#123 (PLO-6) Deepdive, ‘makk02’ continued their strong form, firing two bullets in the Knockout (KO) to finish third, earning a sweet ₹1.64 Lakhs, including ₹3,500 in bounties, a score that’s 4X their previous best on the platform and almost wiped out all their past losses from the last five years in one fell swoop. But more than the money, this run gave them their first-ever NPS medal, a well-earned Bronze.

makk02’s PokerBaazi stats: Site Winnings: ₹4.89 Lakhs | NPS Medals Won: 1 Bronze | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹2.29 Lakhs

Unmesh ‘Unmesh’ Nair, who took home a Bronze in last night’s NPS#177 (7-Max) SPRINT, delivered another strong performance in the NPS#171 (PLO-5) Knockout (KO), landing a respectable sixth-place finish. After firing four entries, Nair walked away with ₹65,437, which included ₹2,500 in bounties, part of a five-cash Friday haul that added close to ₹3.35 Lakhs to his bankroll.

Unmesh Nair‘s online stats (PokerBaazi and Adda52): Lifetime Winnings: ₹1.91 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹78.93 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2025: #4 | Moves to #3 on the Kerela State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 2 Bronze | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹20.72 Lakhs

Adding to the high-voltage Friday action at NPS India 2025, the ₹2,875 buy-in NPS#171 (PLO-5) Knockout (KO) didn’t just meet its guarantee – it blew it to smithereens, generating a fiery ₹32.38 Lakhs prize pool. With a massive turnout, the event saw the top 219 players walk away with winnings, each pocketing at least ₹3,885, adding more fuel to the inferno that is the NPS India 2025 as it speeds toward its grand conclusion.

Final Table Results

1. Aditya ‘gangajal’ Sushant – ₹3,05,922
2. Kritagya ‘Foldnhihota’ Sharma – ₹2,23,513
3. makk02 – ₹1,64,339
4. FelixShukla12 – ₹1,21,622
5. goldenbhai – ₹91,729
6. Unmesh ‘Unmesh’ Nair – ₹65,437

NPS#173 Marathon – ₹20 Lakhs GTD

Buy-in – ₹1,725

Entries – 639

Re-entries – 750

Prize Pool – ₹20,83,500

Places Paid – 226

We called it! We said that once Sreekanth ‘n0thing’ Narayan hit his stride, he’d be unstoppable. And that prediction played out perfectly on Friday night. The G.O.A.T. 2.0 runner-up and 2023 POY #2 demolished PokerBaazi’s ₹20 Lakhs GTD NPS#173 Marathon, grabbing his second Gold Medal of the series after a heads-up deal that lined his pockets with ₹2.20 Lakhs.

The NPS India 2025 has been a stage for incredible comebacks, and Narayan is crafting a legendary one for himself! He arrived at the series with zero NPS Medals, and now he’s sporting a collection of five – a truly astonishing transformation. His medal spree started with a Silver in the NPS#47 Slamdunk, followed by another Silver in the NPS#138 (4-Max) Hyper SPRINT. He snagged his first-ever Gold in the NPS#157 Megadive on Wednesday, added a Bronze in the NPS#170 (7-Max) SPRINT on Thursday, and capped off the hattrick with Friday’s Marathon Gold – that`s three medals on consecutive days for this beast!

The NPS#173 Marathon began at 5:30 PM and attracted a bustling 1,389-entry field (639 unique). Narayan navigated through almost ten hours of intense poker – nine hours and 46 minutes, to be precise – to emerge as the last player standing.

Narayan’s blazing hot medal streak (2 Gold, 2 Silver, and 1 Bronze) has him dominating the Kerala State Leaderboard, where he now sits with a commanding 32 points. Navaneeth Krishna PK, his closest competitor, is far behind with 5 points. Narayan is, without a doubt, the first player virtually guaranteed a spot in the NPC showdown in Goa next month. He is currently ranked #4 on the NPC Leaderboard.

But Narayan had fuel to burn and went on to score in three other NPS events for a combined Friday plunder of over ₹2.48 Lakhs. With that kind of momentum, it’s no surprise he’s now landed at #43 on PokerBaazi’s 2025 POY Leaderboard.

> 1st in PokerBaazi’s NPS#173 Marathon for ₹2,19,671* (heads-up deal)

> 49th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#164 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT for ₹13,919

> 143rd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#177 (6-Max) SPRINT for ₹7,877

> 38th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#172 Slamdunk for ₹6,900

Sreekanth Narayan’s online stats (PokerBaazi, Adda52, PokerStars India and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹12.39 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹5.50 Crores | Titles Won in 2025: #2 | Ranked #1 on the Kerala State Leaderboard | Moves to #4 on the NPC Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 2 Gold, 2 Silver & 1 Bronze | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹36.30 Lakhs

But the path to that second Gold wasn’t a cakewalk. Narayan had to face a familiar foe in Gopal ‘AiDarwin’ Bajaj, a formidable opponent in his own right, who, incredibly, is scripting his own comeback story at this year’s NPS. He, too, started the series without a single NPS Medal and has completely flipped the script, now boasting four. After striking Gold in both the NPS#47 Slamdunk (where Narayan finished second) and the NPS#73 Marathon, he came this close to becoming only the second player after Saahib Bawa to win two Gold Medals in a single day. While that particular dream remained just out of reach, Bajaj still managed a new milestone, becoming the first player in the series to score two Silver Medals in back-to-back events this season.

He fired four bullets in the NPS#173 Marathon before taking the runner-up spot and a payout of ₹1.87 Lakhs, thanks to the heads-up deal, with Narayan getting a bit of payback! Earlier in the evening, he placed second in the NPS#174 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT, adding ₹2.68 Lakhs after a three-bullet investment. With a small additional score in the NPS#172 Slamdunk, Bajaj’s Friday earnings totalled a commendable ₹4.59 Lakhs.

Bajaj’s double-Silver performance has catapulted him to the top of the Maharashtra State Leaderboard with 30 points. While PokerBaazi Team Pro Zarvan Tumboli is tied with Bajaj on points, holding a Gold and four Silvers – one of which he won last night – Bajaj currently leads due to his two Gold Medals, one more than Tumboli. It’s a neck-and-neck race to see who will represent Maharashtra at the NPC showdown. Bajaj has also climbed to #6 on the National Poker Champion Leaderboard and #17 on PokerBaazi’s 2025 POY Leaderboard.

> 2nd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#174 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT for ₹2,68,114

> 2nd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#173 Marathon for ₹1,87,028

> 90th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#159 Slamdunk for ₹3,600

Gopal Bajaj’s online stats (PokerBaazi, Adda52, PokerStars India and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹6.62 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹2.21 Crores | Titles Won in 2025: #3 | Moves to #1 on the Maharashtra State Leaderboard | Moves to #6 on the NPC Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 2 Gold & 2 Silver | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹26.64 Lakhs | Moves to #17 on PokerBaazi’s 2025 POY Leaderboard

Haryana’s ‘Safari25’ rounded out the podium in the NPS#173 Marathon, taking home a site-best ₹1.29 Lakhs for third place and their first-ever NPS medal, a Bronze.

The NPS#173 Marathon final table was a murderer’s row of familiar faces, including the NPS#103 (7-Max) SPRINT Gold Medallist Sanjay ‘smr1g10’ Mohan (5th for ₹68,339), the NPS#46 (PLO-4) Megadive Silver Medallist, Natural8 India Executive Director and Ambassador Kunal ‘VasooliChacha’ Patni (6th for ₹50,004) and the current Rajasthan State Leaderboard frontrunner Anish ‘Fishlover001’ Vijayvergiya (8th for ₹29,794).

Adding to the record-breaking Friday excitement at the NPS India 2025, the ₹1,725 buy-in NPS#173 Marathon also surpassed its guarantee, generating a tempting ₹20.84 Lakhs prize pool. The top 226 finishers received payouts, with the min-cash coming in at ₹2,917 — almost double the buy-in. These last few days promise pure poker fireworks.

Final Table Results

1. Sreekanth ‘n0thing’ Narayan – ₹2,19,671*
2. Gopal ‘AiDarwin’ Bajaj – ₹1,87,028*
3. Safari25 – ₹1,28,552
4. tapputhewinner – ₹94,174
5. Sanjay ‘smr1g10’ Mohan – ₹68,339
6. Kunal ‘VasooliChacha’ Patni – ₹50,004
7. bramh – ₹38,336
8. Anish ‘Fishlover001’ Vijayvergiya – ₹29,794

*denotes a heads-up deal

NPS#172 Slamdunk – ₹15 Lakhs GTD

Buy-in – ₹920

Entries – 883

Re-entries – 948

Prize Pool – ₹15,00,000

Places Paid – 270

It’s officially GO time at NPS India 2025, with the ₹100 Crores monster series down to its last three days! Friday, Day 26, was another day of guarantees getting smashed, and while repeat champions were a big part of the story (four players snagged their second Gold Medals), three long-time grinders finally got their moment in the sun!

One of those grinders was Kamal ‘syrubinek’ Punjabi, a mid-stakes master, and his chosen arena was the ₹15 Lakhs GTD NPS#172 Slamdunk! The most accessible event on the schedule, the 4 PM flagship, lit up the virtual felt with a scorching 1,831 entries (443 unique), kicking off a high-energy eight-hour and 22-minute battle, but Punjabi reigned supreme. Starting the new year with a bang, winning three tournaments (Freeze Out Adda, Voyager, and the Iron Man), and just five days after conquering the MMA Monster Stack, he powered his way to his first-ever NPS medal (a Gold!) and fifth title of the year, pocketing a sweet ₹1.69 Lakhs top prize and jumping to #21 on the Maharashtra State Leaderboard – all with a single entry.

Kamal Punjabi’s online stats: (PokerBaazi, Adda52, PokerStars India and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹1.13 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹29.17 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2025: #5 | Moves to #32 on the Maharashtra State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 1 Gold | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹2.84 Lakhs

But the NPS#172 Slamdunk wasn’t a one-man show. Delhi’s Rishab Malik—a three-time The Millionaire champion, the 2022 NPS#3 Sunday Deepdive Gold Medallist who recently grabbed a Bronze in the NPS#102 Big Knockout (KO)—was hot on his heels, chasing his second career NPS Gold. He came incredibly close, taking home a well-deserved Silver and ₹1,16,100 after putting in two entries (his third NPS medal overall).

Showing his all-around poker prowess in four more tournaments (three at the NPS), Malik, this year’s two-time The Ballers champion, padded his bankroll with over ₹1.72 Lakhs in total winnings! The Silver Medal, on top of the previous Bronze, boosted him to #22 on the Delhi State Leaderboard. Still, it’s more about maximizing these final days, with a seat at the NPC showdown looking unlikely given his current standing.

> 2nd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#172 Slamdunk for ₹1,16,100

> 23rd in Adda52’s TheBallers for ₹21,589

> 27th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#177 (6-Max) SPRINT for ₹20,730

> 105th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#174 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT for ₹7,445

> 118th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#176 Megadive for ₹6,502

Rishab Malik’s online stats: (PokerBaazi, Adda52, PokerStars India and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹10.61 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹3.21 Crores | Titles Won in 2025: #5 | Moves to #32 on the Maharashtra State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 1 Gold | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹2.84 Lakhs

Site regular ‘panic buyer’ from Mizoram earned the coveted Bronze in the NPS#172 Slamdunk and a site-best ₹86,250 for third place, recovering most of their past losses and becoming the first medalist from the state, rocketing to #1 on the state leaderboard.

panicbuyer’s PokerBaazi stats: Site winnings ₹3.81 Lakhs | Moves to #1 on the Mizoram State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 1 Bronze | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹1.03 Lakhs

The NPS#172 Slamdunk final table was a shark-infested pool, also featuring the three-time NPS India 2025 Gold Medallist and the Karnataka State Leaderboard #2 Advait ‘ExploitativeGTO’ Rajguru (4th for ₹64,500), NPS India 2025 dual Bronze Medallist Sony ‘swAAmi’ Puthussery (5th for ₹45,150), NPS#149 Knockout (PKO) Gold Medallist Asit ‘nexus010’ Sharma (6th for ₹32,550), NPS#64 Deepdive Bronze Medallist and 2024 POY #6 Shreyansh ‘halifax7701’ Sharma (7th for ₹25,800), and Parth ‘PapuLasith’ Shah (8th for ₹21,000).

The budget-friendly ₹920 buy-in NPS#110 #Slamdunk came this close to joining Friday’s guarantee-busting club, falling short by a mere ₹35,200. Still, the hefty ₹15 Lakhs prize pool paid out the top 270 finishers, with payouts starting at ₹1,500—the road to the grand finale of the NPS India 2025 is only getting hotter!

Final Table Results

1. Kamal ‘syrubinek’ Punjabi – ₹1,68,750
2. Rishab ‘ryuk’ Malik – ₹1,16,100
3. panicbuyer – ₹86,250
4. Advait ‘ExploitativeGTO’ Rajguru – ₹64,500
5. Sony ‘swAAmi’ Puthussery – ₹45,150
6. Asit ‘nexus010’ Sharma – ₹32,550
7. Shreyansh ‘halifax7701’ Sharma – ₹25,800
8. Parth ‘PapuLasith’ Shah – ₹21,000

₹10 Crores GTD NPS Main Event – Qualifier 6

Q6 > Entries – 541 | Re-entries – 276 | Survivors – 54 | Chip Leader – Shashleen ‘Shash13’ Jaiswal (1,197,000)

Combined > Entries – 2,511 | Re-entries – 1,204 | Survivors – 254 (unique) | Overall Chip Leader – ‘Pocket_aces’ (1,533,000)

₹1 Crore GTD NPS Golden Rush – Qualifier 6

Q6 > Entries – 625 | Re-entries – 361 | Survivors – 106 | Chip Leader – ‘Freakoutej’ (420,000)

Combined > Entries – 3,289 | Re-entries – 2,154 | Survivors – 572 (unique) | Overall Chip Leader – ‘Joeadam’ (788,000)

Junglee Poker

‘iguess..2’ won the ₹8 Lakhs GTD JK#2 for ₹1.75 Lakhs.

Praveen ‘pinawxd’ KR (Won ₹2 Lakhs GTD JK#3 for ₹49,444), ‘robot3333’ (Won ₹1 Lakh GTD JK#1 for ₹23,635), and ‘kbhai00’ (Won ₹60K GTD Hangover for ₹12,323) won the other Friday marquees on Junglee Poker.

Adda52

Rising Star Ritwik ‘ritwik27’ Khanna won the ₹17.50 Lakhs GTD The Ballers for ₹3.48 Lakhs.

The Masterminds Arena title winners of the day included Yogesh ‘POKERBRAT0118’ Kumar (Won ₹5 Lakhs GTD MMA Mini Highroller 6-Max for ₹97,772), Satya Pal ‘Comedypoker’ Verma (Won ₹3 Lakhs GTD MMA Mega PKO 8-Max for ₹65,967), Praveen ‘praveen2626’ KR (Won ₹2 Lakhs GTD MMA Monster Stack for ₹34,959), ‘brijesh74268’ (Won ₹1 Lakh GTD MMA PKO for ₹21,079), Sahil ‘turtle99’ Verma (Won ₹75K GTD MMA Daily for ₹16,386), ‘nik006’ (Won ₹75K GTD MMA Turbo 6-Max for ₹14,906), and ‘shimbhu111’ (Won ₹50K GTD MMA PLO4 Bounty for ₹14,856).

₹25 Lakhs GTD MMA Main Event – Day 1E

Day 1E > Entries – 72 | Re-entries – 40 | Re-buys – 7 | Survivors – 16 | Chip Leader – Arjanveer ‘arjan30’ Singh Chadha (202,254)

Combined > Entries – 346 | Re-entries – 166 | Re-buys – 20 | Survivors – 65 | Overall Chip Leader – Deepak ‘sambahadur’ Verma (470,074)

Pocket52

Ramu ‘Ramukushwaha’ Kushwaha won the ₹2.50 Lakhs GTD (7-Max) Deepstack Turbo for ₹62,170.

Spartan Poker

Jatin ‘chipUp124’ Sablani (Won ₹4 Lakhs GTD Supreme for ₹88,800), ‘Trueheart’ (Won ₹2 Lakhs GTD Spotlight for ₹44,400), ‘9X5X1Y2Y3Y’ (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD Monster Stack for ₹33,300), Pranav ‘pranavpoker’ Khandalkar (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD Monster Turbo for ₹33,300), and ‘8X9X6X8X5Y’ (Won ₹1 Lakh GTD Daily Kickoff for ₹22,200) won the Friday marquees on Spartan Poker.

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