The Kabaddi World Cup is the top international tournament in kabaddi, but two separate competitions carry the name: the circle style World Cup and the standard style World Cup. Pakistan won the circle style title in 2020.
Almost every argument about who holds the Kabaddi World Cup comes from mixing the two competitions together. They use different rules, different governing bodies, and different rosters of champions. This article separates them, gives the full winners list for both, sets out how Pakistan beat India in the 2020 final at Lahore, and states which edition was the most recent one played.
What Is the Kabaddi World Cup?
The Kabaddi World Cup is an international championship in which national kabaddi teams compete for a world title. The name covers more than one event because kabaddi is played in two codes and is governed by more than one federation.
Three competitions have used the title. The International Kabaddi Federation runs a standard style World Cup, held in 2004, 2007 and 2016 for men. World Kabaddi, a separate body founded in 2018, runs its own standard style World Cup, held in 2019 and 2025. The circle style World Cup, administered by Punjab-based bodies in Pakistan and India, ran in seven editions between 2010 and 2020.
What Is the Difference Between Circle Style and Standard Style Kabaddi?
Circle style kabaddi is played by eight players a side on a circular pitch, while standard style kabaddi is played by seven players a side on a rectangular court. The table below compares the two codes.
| Feature | Circle style | Standard style |
|---|---|---|
| Other names | Punjabi kabaddi, Punjab style | Indoor kabaddi, national style |
| Playing area | Circular pitch about 22 metres across | Rectangular mat 13 m by 10 m |
| Players per side | 8 | 7 |
| On a successful touch | One point scored, no player leaves the field | Touched defenders go out and are revived later |
| Chanting “kabaddi” | Not required | Required for the whole raid |
| Raid structure | One raider against one defender | One raider against the whole defending side |
| Match length | 40 minutes, two halves of 20 | 40 minutes, two halves of 20 |
| Main strongholds | Punjab in Pakistan and India, plus diaspora teams | India, Iran, Bangladesh, South Korea, Chinese Taipei |
Standard style is the code used at the Asian Games and in the Pro Kabaddi League, so it draws the larger global audience. Circle style is the village form of the game in Punjab, which is why a circle style title carries more weight in Lahore and Ludhiana than the format’s tournament history alone would suggest.
Has Pakistan Ever Won the Kabaddi World Cup?
Yes. Pakistan won the 2020 Circle Style Kabaddi World Cup, beating India 43-41 in the final at Punjab Stadium, Lahore, on 16 February 2020. That is the only Kabaddi World Cup title Pakistan holds in either code.
Pakistan hosted the seventh circle style edition from 9 to 16 February 2020, the first time the tournament was held outside India. Sponsorship gave it the official name of the 2020 Tapal Tezdum Kabaddi World Cup. Matches ran across three venues: Punjab Stadium in Lahore, Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, and Zahoor Elahi Stadium in Gujrat. Nine nations entered, including Pakistan, India, Iran, Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Azerbaijan and Sierra Leone.
India led the final 24-18 at the interval. The score levelled at 33-33 and again at 34-34 before Pakistan, captained by Muhammad Irfan Mana, went ahead for the first time at 35-34 and held the lead to the finish. Iran took third place, beating Australia 54-33. India had won all six previous circle style editions, so the 2020 result ended a run of six titles.
Who Has Won Every Kabaddi World Cup?
India has won every men’s Kabaddi World Cup in both codes except the 2020 circle style edition. The men’s winners by edition are listed below.
| Year | Style | Host | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Standard (IKF) | Mumbai, India | India | Iran |
| 2007 | Standard (IKF) | Panvel, India | India | Iran |
| 2010 | Circle | Ludhiana, India | India | Pakistan |
| 2011 | Circle | Ludhiana, India | India | Canada |
| 2012 | Circle | Ludhiana, India | India | Pakistan |
| 2013 | Circle | Ludhiana, India | India | Pakistan |
| 2014 | Circle | Sri Muktsar Sahib, India | India | Pakistan |
| 2016 | Standard (IKF) | Ahmedabad, India | India | Iran |
| 2016 | Circle | Jalalabad, Fazilka, India | India | England |
| 2019 | Standard (World Kabaddi) | Melaka, Malaysia | India | Iraq |
| 2020 | Circle | Lahore, Faisalabad and Gujrat, Pakistan | Pakistan | India |
| 2025 | Standard (World Kabaddi) | West Midlands, England | India | England |
The women’s competition has a shorter history and India has won every edition of it. The women’s winners by edition are listed below.
| Year | Style | Host | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Standard (IKF) | Patna, India | India | Iran |
| 2013 | Circle | Ludhiana, India | India | New Zealand |
| 2014 | Circle | Sri Muktsar Sahib, India | India | New Zealand |
| 2016 | Circle | Jalalabad, Fazilka, India | India | United States |
| 2019 | Standard (World Kabaddi) | Melaka, Malaysia | India | Chinese Taipei |
| 2025 | Standard (World Kabaddi) | West Midlands, England | India | England |
| 2025 | Standard (IKF) | Dhaka, Bangladesh | India | Chinese Taipei |
Which Was the Most Recent Kabaddi World Cup?
The most recent Kabaddi World Cup was the International Kabaddi Federation women’s tournament in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from 17 to 24 November 2025, won by India against Chinese Taipei 35-28. No men’s World Cup in either code has been played since March 2025.
Two events used the title during 2025. World Kabaddi held its standard style World Cup in the West Midlands of England from 17 to 23 March 2025, the first Kabaddi World Cup staged outside Asia, with matches in Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Coventry and Walsall. India won the men’s final 44-41 against England and the women’s final 57-34 against England, although some match reports give the women’s score as 57-36. The International Kabaddi Federation then held the second Women’s Kabaddi World Cup at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium in Dhaka in November 2025, with eleven nations entered.
The International Kabaddi Federation had also announced a men’s standard style World Cup for January 2025 in India. That event was postponed indefinitely and had not been played as of August 2026. In circle style, no edition has been staged since February 2020, so Pakistan remains the reigning circle style world champion more than six years after winning the title. World Kabaddi lists Canada as the host of its next World Cup in 2027; claims circulating on social media about a 2026 men’s World Cup in Sydney are not confirmed by any federation announcement.
How Is Kabaddi Played?
Kabaddi is a contact team sport in which one player, the raider, enters the opposing half, tries to touch opponents, and returns to his own half without being held. Points go to the side that completes the touch or stops the raider.
The core sequence is the same in both codes and takes four steps.
- A raider crosses into the opposing half while the defending side spreads out to block the return.
- The raider tries to touch one or more defenders, depending on the code being played.
- The raider attempts to get back across the mid line before being caught, tackled or pushed out.
- The referee awards the point to the raiding side for a completed touch and return, or to the defending side for a successful stop.
In standard style the raider must chant the word “kabaddi” continuously through the raid, which proves the raid was completed on a single breath. Circle style drops the chant, limits each raid to one raider against one nominated defender, and keeps touched players on the field instead of sending them out. Both codes run 40 minutes, split into two halves of 20 minutes with a change of ends.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Kabaddi World Cup
Who won the Kabaddi World Cup 2020?
Pakistan won the 2020 Circle Style Kabaddi World Cup, beating India 43-41 in the final at Punjab Stadium, Lahore, on 16 February 2020. It was Pakistan’s first Kabaddi World Cup title.
Who won the Kabaddi World Cup 2025?
India won both 2025 titles. India beat England 44-41 in the men’s final in England in March 2025, and beat Chinese Taipei 35-28 in the women’s final in Dhaka in November 2025.
Has Pakistan ever won the Kabaddi World Cup?
Yes, once. Pakistan won the circle style Kabaddi World Cup in 2020 as hosts. Pakistan has not won a standard style Kabaddi World Cup and finished runner-up in four circle style editions.
What is circle style kabaddi?
Circle style kabaddi, also called Punjabi kabaddi, is played by eight players a side on a circular pitch about 22 metres across. Raiders face one nominated defender and do not chant “kabaddi”.
How many players are in a kabaddi team?
A standard style kabaddi team fields seven players at a time, with substitutes on the bench. A circle style team fields eight players at a time on a circular pitch.
Last Thoughts on the Kabaddi World Cup
The Kabaddi World Cup record only makes sense once the two codes are kept apart. In standard style, India has won every men’s and women’s edition ever staged, across two rival federations. In circle style, India won six editions in a row and then lost the seventh to Pakistan in Lahore.
Because no circle style World Cup has been held since February 2020, that Lahore result still stands as the current title. A tournament that has gone six years without an edition is not a settled calendar fixture, so the honest description is that Pakistan holds a title nobody has had the chance to take back. Readers tracking Pakistani sporting achievements will find more entries in the list of Guinness World Records of Pakistan, and the regional roots of circle style kabaddi are covered in the guide to the provinces of Pakistan and their culture.
