Nitin Kumar secures World Championship spot again and returns to Alexandra Palace for the sixth time
PDC
Nitin Kumar has once again secured his place at the PDC World Darts Championship. “The Royal Bengal” dominated the Indian qualifier this weekend and had already banked enough points after two of the three events to lock in his ticket to Alexandra Palace.
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The Indian qualifier featured three separate tournaments, with two played on Saturday and one scheduled for Sunday. Kumar didn’t need that final day. He won both Saturday events.
Kumar made a commanding start in the first qualifier. He didn’t drop a single leg in his opening three matches. He then beat Deep Kumar Shaw 4-1 and Vikash Kothari 4-2 to reach the semi-finals.
There, Kumar produced his best display of the first event. With an average of 80.81, he left Shashank Agarwal no chance: 5-0. In the final, Kumar wrapped up his first title of the day by defeating Chirag Daga 5-2.
Nitin Kumar caused a huge sensation at last year’s World Darts Championship
Second event also falls to Kumar
A few hours later, Kumar simply picked up where he left off. In his first four matches of the second qualifier, he again didn’t lose a single leg. Amar Pratapsingh Hawaldar did nick one leg, but went out 4-1.
The semi-final brought Kumar his first real test of the day. Agarwal was once more the opponent, but again Kumar prevailed. A 5-2 win sent him into back-to-back finals.
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There, “The Royal Bengal” had to go the distance against Vikehelie Suohu. Kumar edged a tense decider 5-4 and, with an 85.86 average, posted his highest mark of the day.
By winning both Saturday qualifiers, Kumar had collected enough points to skip Sunday’s third event. His sixth appearance at the World Darts Championship was confirmed.
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Kumar had already made history for India on his previous visit to Alexandra Palace. After four first-round exits at the Worlds, he claimed his maiden win last year. He beat Richard Veenstra 3-2 to become the first Indian ever to win a match at the World Darts Championship. Stephen Bunting then proved too strong in round two, winning 3-0. This year, Kumar gets another chance to shine for India on the sport’s biggest stage.
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- Well,I suppose if you don't play the tournaments ,then why should any player qualify? There are players who enter every tournament,and if they don't win it,they carry on, spending money they haven't won,yet certain players seem to think they should qualify. Winners only I thinkrick6714-11-2026
- Everyone knows what a fantastic champion Taylor was,but his performances in the seniors were poor. He wouldn't throw littler off stage,as he'd miss these days!!rick6712-11-2026
- He produced some impressive numbers in that qualifying campaign. I'm excited to see him compete at the World Championship once again, even if it will be difficult to replicate last year's success even with an improved performance, with the draw playing a huge role in determining his fortunes.Deduce635811-11-2026
- I often think about this very question. I think they should revive the format. They could even invite representatives from MODUS Super Series, with four series winners from the past year, and the ADC, with finalists from the Global Championship and perhaps other events. Why not throw in eligible representatives from the JDC and even the soft-tip game too?Deduce635811-11-2026
- So what if littler missed out, he doesnt have to enter everythingant10-11-2026
- Good, absolutely no loss if we never see this dancing goof ever again......no that is not fair. He absolutely cannot and has never been remotely able to dance!richieburnettrocks10-11-2026
- Yes Phil,now the money in the game is bigger than ever,you'd play littler. Well so would I! Retire on your memory Phil,and your successful careerrick6709-11-2026
- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026