WRESTLERS from India

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Indian Wrestlers of all time. This list of famous Indian Wrestlers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Indian Wrestlers.

1. The Great Gama (1878 - 1960)

With an HPI of 63.12, The Great Gama is the most famous Indian Wrestler.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages on wikipedia.

Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt (22 May 1878 – 23 May 1960), commonly known by the title Rustam-e-Hind and by the ring name The Great Gama, was a Kashmiri Muslim, pehlwani wrestler and strongman in British India and later, Pakistan. In the early 20th century, he was an undefeated wrestling champion of British India. He was born in the Kashmiri Butt caste in Jabbowal village (Amritsar District) in the Punjab Province of British India in 1878, Gama was awarded a version of the World Heavyweight Championship on 15 October 1910. Undefeated in a career spanning more than 52 years, he is considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. After the partition of India, Gama migrated to Pakistan, where he died in the city of Lahore on 23 May 1960. The prominent members of Great Gama Family include Jahara Pehlwan, Nasir Bholu, Sohail Pehlwan, Abid Pehlwan, Kalsoom Nawaz, Bilal Yasin (Ex-Federal Minister), Ibraz Butt (Youth Parliamentarian, Secretary of Information) and Moazzam Zubair (son of Jahara).

2. The Great Khali (b. 1972)

With an HPI of 59.79, The Great Khali is the 2nd most famous Indian Wrestler.  His biography has been translated into 50 different languages.

Dalip Singh Rana (born 27 August 1972), better known by his ring name The Great Khali, is an Indian-born American former professional wrestler, promoter, and actor. He is best known for his tenure with WWE, where he became the first Indian-born world champion. Standing over 7 feet tall due to acromegaly, Khali gained attention for his imposing stature and was prominently featured in WWE storylines throughout the mid-2000s to early 2010s. Rana began his professional wrestling career in 2000, competing in the United States for All Pro Wrestling (APW), followed by appearances in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and other international promotions. He signed with WWE in 2006, where he was involved in high-profile feuds with The Undertaker, John Cena, Batista, and Triple H, and participated in major events such as WrestleMania and SummerSlam. Outside the ring, Khali appeared in films including The Longest Yard (2005) and Get Smart (2008), and finished as runner-up on the reality television show Bigg Boss 4 in 2011. In 2015, Rana founded Continental Wrestling Entertainment (CWE) based in Jalandhar, Punjab. Khali was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021 and continues to make occasional appearances for the company.

3. Sushil Kumar (b. 1983)

With an HPI of 51.33, Sushil Kumar is the 3rd most famous Indian Wrestler.  His biography has been translated into 35 different languages.

Sushil Kumar (born 26 May 1983) is a former Indian wrestler and a two-time Olympic medallist. He won a bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics—India’s first wrestling medal since K. D. Jadhav’s bronze in 1952—and a silver at the 2012 London Olympics. A recipient of the Khel Ratna Award– India's highest honour for sportspersons in 2009, he was also honoured with the Arjuna Award in 2005 and the Padma Shri in 2011. Kumar participated in the Queen’s Baton Relay at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and was India’s flag bearer at the 2012 London Olympics. He clinched gold thrice at the Commonwealth Games and was crowned Asian Wrestling Champion in 2010. He is the first and only Indian to win a gold medal at World Wrestling Championships.

4. Vinesh Phogat (b. 1994)

With an HPI of 45.43, Vinesh Phogat is the 4th most famous Indian Wrestler.  Her biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Vinesh Phogat (pronounced [ʋɪˈneːʃ ˈpʰoːɡɑːʈ]; born 25 August 1994) is an Indian politician and former freestyle wrestler, currently serving as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Julana constituency in Haryana, representing the Indian National Congress. Prior to her political career, she was one of India’s most accomplished female wrestlers. A two-time World Wrestling Championships bronze medallist, she is a former Asian champion, Asian Games gold medallist and a three-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist. Vinesh is the only Indian woman wrestler to have won gold at both the Commonwealth and Asian Games. She is a three-time Olympian, having competed in three different weight classes: 48 kg in 2016, 53 kg in 2020, and 50 kg in 2024.

5. Geeta Phogat (b. 1988)

With an HPI of 45.16, Geeta Phogat is the 5th most famous Indian Wrestler.  Her biography has been translated into 27 different languages.

Geeta Phogat (born 15 December 1988) is a freestyle wrestler who won India's first-ever gold medal in wrestling at the Commonwealth Games in 2010. She was also the first Indian female wrestler to have qualified for the Olympic Games.

6. Bajrang Punia (b. 1994)

With an HPI of 43.15, Bajrang Punia is the 6th most famous Indian Wrestler.  His biography has been translated into 30 different languages.

Bajrang Punia (born 26 February 1994) is an Indian freestyle wrestler and politician. He has won a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Punia is the only Indian wrestler to win four medals at the World Championships. A multiple gold medalist at the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Championships, he has been honored with the Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award, and Padma Shri for his achievements in wrestling. In 2024, he joined the Indian National Congress and currently serves as the Working President of the All India Kisan Congress, focusing on farmers issues in Haryana and across India.

7. Babita Kumari (b. 1989)

With an HPI of 41.02, Babita Kumari is the 7th most famous Indian Wrestler.  Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Babita Kumari Phogat (born 20 November 1989) is a former Indian professional wrestler and a politician from the state of Haryana. She is a multiple Commonwealth Games medalist, winning the gold medal in 2014 Commonwealth Games, and silver medals at 2010 Commonwealth Games and 2018 Commonwealth Games. When she won the 2014 Commonwealth gold medal, she became the second Indian women wrestler to win a Commonwealth gold after her sister Geeta Phogat, who had won it in 2010. Babita participated in the Rio 2016 Olympics in the 53 Kg women's wrestling, though she could not make it to the podium. Earlier, she had won a bronze medal at the 2013 Asian Wrestling Championships tournament in New Delhi, India; and another bronze at the 2012 World Wrestling Championships. Later in 2019, after retiring from sports, Babita Phogat entered politics by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party.

8. Yogeshwar Dutt (b. 1982)

With an HPI of 39.01, Yogeshwar Dutt is the 8th most famous Indian Wrestler.  His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Yogeshwar Dutt (born 2 November 1982) is a former Indian wrestler. At the 2012 London Olympics, he won the bronze medal in the 60 kg freestyle category. For his contribution to Indian wrestling, he was awarded the Khel Ratna Award by the Government of India in 2012 and the Padma Shri in 2013.

9. Bekmurod Oltiboev (b. 1996)

With an HPI of 28.69, Bekmurod Oltiboev is the 9th most famous Indian Wrestler.  His biography has been translated into 9 different languages.

Bekmurod Oltiboev (born 17 June 1996) is an Uzbekistani judoka. At the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta, Indonesia, he won one of the bronze medals in the men's +100 kg event. At the 2019 Military World Games held in Wuhan, China, Oltiboev won the silver medal in the men's +100 kg event. At the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games held in Baku, Azerbaijan, Oltiboev won one of the bronze medals in the men's +100 kg event. In 2021, he competed in the men's +100 kg event at the World Judo Championships in Budapest, Hungary. He also competed in the men's +100 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan.

10. Navjot Kaur (b. 1990)

With an HPI of 15.88, Navjot Kaur is the 10th most famous Indian Wrestler.  Her biography has been translated into 9 different languages.

Navjot Kaur (born 10 February 1990 in a Sikh Jatt family) is an Indian wrestler. She represented India in the women's freestyle 67 kg category at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in which she won the bronze medal. She became the first Indian woman wrestler to win an Asian Championship gold medal.