India Poker 2025 SPI Review: Top Ten Indian Poker Players
The 2025 poker season served as a massive breakout year for the subcontinent, with the top ten Indian poker players asserting their dominance across both domestic stops and major international festivals. According to the Somuchpoker Poker Index (SPI) , the 2025 leaderboard highlights a year where Indian professionals combined massive volume in regional hubs like Vietnam and Taipei with surgical precision in elite stops across Jeju and Las Vegas.
The following table breaks down the stats and incredible consistency of the top ten Indian poker players in 2025.
2025 SPI Score: India Top Ten
| Rank | Player | 2025 SPI Score | Total SPI Earning | ITM | Festivals | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nishant Sharma | 13,823 | $1,398,150 | 13 | 7 | 17 |
| 2 | Kunal Patni | 13,519 | $237,147 | 28 | 8 | 37 |
| 3 | Somashekar Mahadeva | 13,424 | $299,361 | 29 | 10 | 45 |
| 4 | Amit Kaushik | 13,123 | $172,529 | 30 | 7 | 37 |
| 5 | Abhijith Cheruku | 11,260 | $418,510 | 16 | 8 | 25 |
| 6 | Akshay Nasa | 9,499 | $179,955 | 14 | 6 | 16 |
| 7 | Rishi Mehra | 8,638 | $166,360 | 16 | 7 | 20 |
| 8 | Sumit Sapra | 8,318 | $75,031 | 22 | 10 | 34 |
| 9 | Aditya Agarwal | 7,521 | $209,638 | 11 | 8 | 14 |
| 10 | Ankit Ahuja | 7,440 | $320,037 | 10 | 3 | 13 |
Player Profiles
1. Nishant Sharma
Finishing at the top of the top ten Indian poker players is high-stakes crusher Nishant Sharma . His 2025 season was defined by elite quality, resulting in a dominant 2025 SPI Score of 13,823. Sharma utilized a selective schedule to generate massive SPI earnings of $1,398,150. With total live earnings now nearing $3 million, his season highlight was a massive in an elite international series that accounted for the majority of his yearly prize money.
In late 2025, Sharma recorded a career-best $1,181,559 after winning the APT Championship Main Event Freezeout at APT Championship Taipei, a milestone result as well as a significant crowning moment of his year.
2. Kunal Patni
Ranked second among the top ten Indian poker players is the veteran pro Kunal Patni . A familiar face on the Asian circuit, Patni recorded 28 cashes to reach a 2025 SPI Score of 13,519. His SPI earnings of $237,147 reflect a year of hard-earned consistency across Vietnam and Taipei. Patni’s technical resilience has pushed his career earnings further closer to the $2 million mark, cementing his status as one of India’s most reliable grinders.
Patni earned his highest live cash of $224,833 in Las Vegas, where he secured a 5th finish in the $3,000 No Limit Hold’em event during the 56th World Series of Poker series, marking a highlighted moment in his year.
3. Somashekar Mahadeva
Somashekar Mahadeva secures the third spot with a 2025 SPI Score of 13,424. Mahadeva was the busiest traveler in the top three, hitting 10 different festivals to earn SPI earnings of $299,361. Known for his ability to navigate massive fields, he recorded 29 “In The Money” finishes throughout the year, with his 2025 pinnacle coming from a podium finish in a regional prime event.
Mahadeva secured a runner-up finish in the APPT Main Event at the APPT Cambodia 2025 and took home his career-best live cash of $155,225. This contributed a bulk to his nearing $400,00 lifetime earnings.
4. Amit Kaushik
Occupying the fourth position, Amit Kaushik recorded a strong 2025 SPI Score of 13,123. Kaushik turned 37 event entries into 30 cashes, demonstrating a clinical efficiency that resulted in SPI earnings of $172,529. With total live earnings climbing toward $1 million, his 2025 run proved his reputation as a disciplined tournament specialist in mid-to-high stakes fields.
Kaushik’s 2025 momentum reached its peak during the WPT Cambodia Championship . He secured a runner-up finish in the Mystery Bounty event and banked the highest cash of the year for $30,760. While impressive, his career-best cash of $118,906 came from the WPT Cambodia Championship 2024 when he secured a 5th-place finish in the WPT Main Event.
5. Abhijith Cheruku
Rounding out the top five of the top ten Indian poker players is Abhijith Cheruku with a 2025 SPI Score of 11,260. Cheruku focused on high-value prize pools, resulting in significant SPI earnings of $418,510. His best live cash of the season came during a breakout performance at a prestigious stop in Jeju.
Cheruku marked his highlight of the year at the Jeju Poker Festival , where he finished in a runner-up place for KRW 170,000,000 (~$119,055) in the KPC High Roller, setting a new milestone in his career.
6. Akshay Nasa
Akshay Nasa holds the 6th spot with a 2025 SPI Score of 9,499. Nasa was exceptionally clinical in 2025, attending 6 festivals to secure SPI earnings of $179,955. Known for his technical adaptability across diverse formats, his 2025 highlight was a final table appearance in a marquee Asian Main Event, boosting his total career earnings closer to the $800,000 mark.
Nasa’s 2025 highlight came from his 3rd-place finish in the Poker Dream 18 Malaysia Main Event for $85,438, while his career-best cash was from the APT Summer Series Hanoi Main Event in 2023, where he finished as the runner-up for his highest score of $90,133.
7. Rishi Mehra
Rishi Mehra takes the 7th position among the top ten Indian poker players with a 2025 SPI Score of 8,638. Mehra displayed an incredible work ethic, participating in 20 events and securing 16 cashes. His efforts across 7 festivals resulted in SPI earnings of $166,360, proving that steady regional participation is a viable path to the elite national rankings.
With nearly $400,000 in his lifetime earnings, Mehra’s 2025 highlight came from APT Taipei , where he secured a 4th-place finish in the Baby Superstar Challenge for his highest score of the year, TWD 1,982,500 (~$61,190). His career-high score, however, still stands at $108,356, which he earned in the APT Taipei Poker Classic 2024 with his runner-up finish in the APT High Roller 8 Max event.
8. Sumit Sapra
A veteran of the grind, Sumit Sapra ranks 8th with a 2025 SPI Score of 8,318. Sapra matched the volume of the leaders with 22 cashes, resulting in SPI earnings of $75,031. With nearly half a million in total live earnings, his 2025 season was defined by his precision in regional deep-stack championships.
Sapra’s 2025 reached its peak during the WPT Cambodia Championship , where he took down his highest score of the year, $10,200, after his deep run in the WPT Championship event. However, his career-best score stands at $36,511 that he earned in the 2018 APL Vietnam High Roller by securing a 3rd finish in the event.
9. Aditya Agarwal
The pioneer of Indian poker, Aditya Agarwal , ranks 9th among the top ten Indian poker players with a 2025 SPI Score of 7,521. Agarwal focused purely on high-stakes stops, generating SPI earnings of $209,638 from just 14 event entries.
Agarwal’s pinnacle in 2025 came from the APPT Manila Championship , where he secured a 4th finish in the APPT Championship event for his career-high cash of $69,733, marking a significant moment in his year.
10. Ankit Ahuja
Rounding out the list is the back-to-back GPI Player of the Year, Ankit Ahuja , with a 2025 SPI Score of 7,440. Despite a more limited schedule of 3 festivals, Ahuja made them count with SPI earnings of $320,037. With total live earnings of over $3.8 million, his 2025 pinnacle was a final table appearance in the WPT Cambodia Championship , where he secured a 3rd finish in the WPT Championship event for his highest score of the year, $189,000.
Currently sitting at #3 on the country’s all-time money list, Ahuja’s career-best score came in 2023 at EPT Cyprus, where he navigated a massive field to win the $1,100 Eureka Main Event for $362,365.
Where to Play in India
The Indian poker scene is centered around the coastal state of Goa, where offshore casinos provide a unique gaming environment.
- Deltin Royale (Goa) : India’s largest offshore casino and the premier destination for major domestic tournament series.
- Big Daddy Casino (Goa) : A premier offshore gaming destination moored on the Mandovi River in Panaji, Goa. The venue provides a world-class experience with international-standard equipment, auto-shufflers, and professional floor management.
- Deltin Royale Casino (Goa) : India’s largest and most luxurious offshore gaming vessel, permanently anchored on the Mandovi River in Panaji, Goa. Spanning over 50,000 square feet with five levels of entertainment, it serves as the nation’s premier destination for high-stakes poker.
India’s Poker Festivals
- World Poker Tour (WPT) India: The most prestigious international brand to enter the Indian market, frequently breaking attendance records in Goa.
- Baazi Poker Tour (BPT): A homegrown favorite that focuses on high-quality tournament structures and massive prize pools for the local circuit.
- India Poker Championship (IPC): The longest-running series in the country, often serving as the primary battleground for the top tier of Indian talent.
Advancing into 2026, the race for the next Player of the Year is already heating up. With top players like Nishant Sharma and Ankit Ahuja building on their 2025 successes, the competition promises to push the limits of Indian poker strategy to even greater heights.
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