From Jasprit Bumrah to Lakshya Sen, these are India's sporting titans of triumph

India’s sports stars have become symbols of dedication, talent, and national pride. Excelling across disciplines; from cricket and badminton to chess and motorsports, they are inspiring a new wave of young athletes across the country. HELLO! highlights their journeys, achievements, and the growing impact of sports on India’s cultural landscape.

1. Lakshya Sen, Badminton player, ex-Junior World No. 1 and a bronze medallist at the World Championships

Fondly called India’s poster boy for badminton, Lakshya Sen was 17 when he bagged gold at the 2018 Asian Junior Championships, becoming the first Indian in 53 years to achieve the feat. The Almora-born comes from a legacy of shuttlers. His father, DK Sen, is a badminton coach and his brother Chirag is also a player. Lakshya’s career started taking shape from age nine when he began training at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru.

It was in 2016 that he first clinched a bronze medal at the Junior Asian Championship against top players like China’s Sun Feixiang. The same year, he won the men’s singles title at the India International Series tournament. In February 2017, he was named World Junior No. 1, establishing himself as one of India’s brightest badminton prodigies.

FUTURE TENSE

Lakshya will now focus on preparing for upcoming tournaments and commitments this year, likely the BWF World Championships this August.

INFLUENCE QUOTIENT

Known for his agility, skill and consistent performance, Lakshya Sen, 23, became the first male shuttler from India to reach the semifinals in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

2. Anush Agarwalla, Equestrian champion and Asian Games gold medallist

An animal lover, Anush was all of seven when he started visiting Kolkata’s Tollygunge Club for horse-riding lessons. Unlike for many others, it wasn’t just a hobby for this young boy, who began training seriously at the age of 10. When he turned 17, Anush moved to Germany to train with Olympian Hubertus Schmidt with his horse, Etro. Years of consistent hard work paid off, and Anush, now 25— along with teammates Hriday Vipul, Divyakriti Singh and Sudipti Hajela—won a gold medal in the Team Dressage event at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. With a score of 209.205, this was India’s first-ever gold in this event at the Asian Games, also ending a 40-year gold medal drought in equestrian sports for the country.

FUTURE TENSE 

With his focus on the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, where Anush will be defending his team gold while aiming to improve on his previous bronze, he aims to peak at the World Championships, bringing his A-game to the event next year. 

INFLUENCE QUOTIENT

Anush is the only Indian to have taken part in the World Dressage Championships. The young equestrian made history by earning India’s first ever spot for riding in the Olympics.

3. Jasprit Bumrah, Cricketer, “yorker king” and one of the best fast bowlers of current times

Jasprit Bumrah’s life story might be one of the best examples of hard work and resilience rewriting destiny. Losing his father at age 5 and growing up amid financial instability with his mother, a teacher at Ahmedabad’s Nirmal High School, didn’t deter this Sikh boy from pursuing his love for the sport. From playing cricket in the school grounds, he made his debut with team Gujarat in 2011 and went on to make his T20 debut for the state against Maharashtra for the Syed Mushtaq Trophy. It was coach John Wright who noticed his bowling skills, and the same year, Bumrah featured in Mumbai’s 2013 IPL title-winning team.

Almost a decade of consistent performances as a death bowler internationally, in February 2024, Bumrah was declared the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year. He also became the first bowler to have held the No. 1 ranking in all three cricket formats, albeit not simultaneously. When India won the 2024 T20 World Cup in West Indies, Bumrah finished as Player of the Series following our victory over South Africa in the final.

FUTURE TENSE

This year, Bumrah is recovering from a back injury and getting his bowling charm back on the field. The team and fans are rooting for him to return for the World Test Championship in England in June.

INFLUENCE QUOTIENT

A right-arm fast bowler, Bumrah, at just 31, is India’s Mr. Dependent and a constant game-winner. The proof: His ICC No.1 ranking and more than 400 international wickets to his name.

4. Tania Sachdev, International Chess Federation Master, female grandmaster and commentator

SHATTERING GLASS CEILINGS

“I never set out to break barriers; I’ve been very fortunate to have been able to make a career doing what I love. It’s been a long journey filled with challenges. Sport isn’t meant to be easy, and that’s what makes it so aspirational. Playing and now commentary gives me so much joy, and along the way, if I can make others believe in their dreams and goals, if I can challenge stereotypes or bring a positive change, that would be my biggest win. My grandfather is from the army, and we grew up listening to his stories. I still remember his joy and pride when I made it to the national team in 2008. He wrote a poem for me called ‘Arre Tania, tune toh kamal kar dikhaya.’”

THE EARLY BIRD

“I started playing chess at the age of 6, and it quickly became more than a hobby—it was all I wanted to do. My parents spotted that spark and supported me every step of the way. It was Dad who introduced me to chess. He was learning the rules from a book to teach my brother, and I just joined in. Soon, I was beating them both, challenging anyone who visited our home and forcing Papa to play a game with me whenever he returned from work. My parents found someone to teach me, which was rare in Delhi. So along with my dance and painting classes, I also started chess lessons.”

FROM THE BOARD TO BROADCAST

“Over the past few years, I’ve leaned more towards broadcast, after 20 years of professional competitive chess. I miss the adrenaline at times, but as a commentator, it’s a whole new rush! It’s impossible to keep a balance between being a professional player and a commentator. As I move more towards this next phase of my dance with chess, the thrill of playing never leaves. Last year was incredible, but the best has still to come. Receiving the ‘BBC Changemaker of the Year’ award was special, and I hope I can continue to make a change through chess. This year is about doing more of what I love and pushing myself in new ways.”

5. Kush Maini, Emerging motorsport talent and the reserve driver for Formula 1’s Alpine team

History was scripted in March 2025 when Kush became the first Indian driver in Formula 1 after 2012; he joined Alpine as a reserve driver for the ongoing season. He’s now only the third Indian driver after Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok to be a part of an F1 team. Hailing from Bengaluru, the 24-year-old was introduced to racing at an early age as his older brother Arjun was also a racer. After initial schooling in Bengaluru, Kush moved to the UK, Italy and Switzerland to train in karting.

He was 10 when he first won the Indian National Championship, and at 16, he took part in the Italian F4 Championship with BVM Racing. With his consistent performance, Kush made it to the FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2023, where he raced for Campos Racing. He’s been training under the legendary Mika Hakkinen. It was last June when Kush tested a 2022 Alpine F1 car at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, describing the machinery as a marvellous piece of engineering.

FUTURE TENSE

The Indian racer is set to take on additional duties with Alpine as the test and reserve driver, alongside competing in Formula 2 with DAMS.

INFLUENCE QUOTIENT

Kush Maini is only the third Indian to join Formula 1 and en route to becoming an eminent name in Indian motorsports.

This piece originally appeared in the April-May’25 print edition of HELLO! India

Photographs by Getty images for Lakshay Sen, Anush Agarwalla, Kush Maini, Jasprit Bumrah/Instagram for Jasprit Bumrah, Bandeep Singh/ITG for Tania Sachdev