India’s dominance in cue sports received another significant boost as Pankaj Advani returned to the top of the world billiards podium after a 12-year gap, while Shruthi L extended her remarkable run by winning the women’s world title for the third consecutive year. The two victories at the Landywood Snooker Club in Great Wyrley, England, underlined India’s strength in English billiards, with experience and consistency proving decisive on the international stage.
Advani defeated England’s Robert Hall 1,906-1,206 in the men’s final to secure the 2026 World Billiards Championship title. Shruthi, meanwhile, overcame Sweden’s Eva Palmius 414-153 to complete her hat-trick, having previously won the women’s crown in 2024 and 2025. For Advani, the victory carried significance beyond the final score. The Indian cue sports great had last won the World Billiards Championship in 2014, making his latest triumph a long-awaited return to the top in a competition that continues to attract leading players from across the world.
The final against Hall, a nine-time world champion according to the supplied match information, demanded precision and sustained scoring. Advani delivered on both fronts, finishing with a 700-point winning margin to claim the title at the English venue. The tournament featured a strong international field, with 60 players representing 12 nations and all 10 players from the world rankings’ top tier in the men’s competition. The championship was held from October 19 to 22, with Landywood Snooker Club hosting the event for the fourth consecutive year.
Advani’s achievement also reinforced his standing among the leading figures in Indian cue sports. A multiple-time world champion across billiards and snooker, he has built a career around technical control, tactical awareness and the ability to sustain concentration over lengthy contests. His win against Hall adds another major milestone to that record and demonstrates his continued ability to compete against the world’s best.
A day earlier, Shruthi L had delivered a commanding performance in the women’s final against Palmius. The Indian secured a 414-153 victory and recorded a high break of 105 during the title clash, further underlining her scoring ability under pressure. The result extended Shruthi’s extraordinary sequence of women’s world championship victories. Having first claimed the title in 2024 and successfully defended it in 2025, she completed a hat-trick in 2026, establishing herself as a dominant presence in women’s English billiards.
Her achievement is particularly notable given the precision, patience and tactical discipline demanded by the sport. English billiards rewards players who can combine accurate potting with controlled positional play and sustained scoring, making consistency across successive championships a considerable challenge. Shruthi’s latest victory also adds momentum to the growing visibility of Indian women in cue sports, where performances on international stages can help inspire younger players and strengthen the sport’s domestic profile.
Advani’s return and Shruthi’s hat-trick offer two complementary lessons about sporting success. Advani’s victory highlights longevity, adaptability and the determination required to reclaim a world title after years away from the top. Shruthi’s achievement reflects sustained excellence and the challenge of remaining the player everyone else is trying to beat.
Together, their performances show why India’s success in cue sports deserves greater recognition. While mainstream attention often gravitates towards cricket and Olympic disciplines, billiards continues to produce world champions capable of competing at the highest level.
The next challenge will be to convert these achievements into broader visibility, stronger grassroots participation and greater opportunities for emerging players. For Indian cue sports, the double triumph in England is not merely a celebration of two titles. It is a reminder of the depth of talent that can thrive when skill, discipline and competitive experience come together.
