National Poker Series India 2025: Series Wrap-Up

Bhanu Prakash KC Goes All In on Glory, While Zarvan Tumboli’s Bronze Ignites a Fierce Comeback in the National Poker Champion Race!

National Poker Series India 2025: Series Wrap-Up

The National Poker Series India 2025 has lived up to its title as the “Olympics of Indian Poker,” marking its largest-ever 29-day run since February 23. With the series concluding in the early hours of Tuesday, the Golden Rush and Main Event ran to finale, giving out the final six medals.

All eyes were on the India Leaderboard, which gives the top 12 players the chance to battle for the coveted National Poker Champion title.

When the cards settled, Bhanu Prakash KC from Ramnagara, Karnataka, emerged as the undisputed leader. The 37-year-old former Software Engineer made history by topping both the India Leaderboard and the Series Leaderboard in National Poker Series India 2025!

Bhanu’s Incredible Performance in National Poker Series India 2025:

• India Leaderboard: 1st place with 40 points, earned from 5 medals (3 Gold, 2 Silver)
• Series Leaderboard: 1st place with 38.07K points
• Cashes: A massive 42.72 Lac in earnings, with an impressive 83% cashout rate, having cashed in 153 of 190 tournaments!

The grandest stage of Indian Poker certainly delivered, with a total prize pool of 108 CR+ across 191 events, rewarding the top talents in the country.

While Bhanu has set a new standard in the series, the player making a BIG splash was PokerBaazi Team Pro Zarvan Tumboli ‘MomSaid5Bet’!

All of 33, “India’s Poker Sultan” who has a tall record in Live Poker including the prestigious 2024 Poker Dream 8 Malaysia Main Event, has turned his attention to online Poker with an unmatched ferocity.

Starting his Poker journey as a teenager, the Mumbaikar’s transition from live tournaments to online play has been nothing short of spectacular. In his first-ever commitment to a long-running online series, he has shown that champions don’t just adapt—they own the game.

Just two days into the National Poker Series India 2025, Zarvan was already at the top of the leaderboard, showcasing his raw skill and unshakable mindset. Though he hit a few bumps in the road as the series progressed, Zarvan’s resilience is unmatched.

On Monday night, he staged a jaw-dropping comeback that had Poker fans on the edge of their seats. Running hot in the NPS#190 Golden Rush, Zarvan made it to the podium, clinching the Bronze. While this brings his total National Poker Series India medal count to an impressive 6, Zarvan has firmly pushed Gopal Bajaj out of the Top 12 and cemented his spot on the National Poker Champion race!

The big question remains: Can Zarvan continue his momentum, leverage his live Poker skills, and snatch the coveted National Poker Champion title in the upcoming showdown?

Other top-ranked players in the reckoning for the National Poker Champion race are:

Gujarat’s Mohit Bohra ‘bullets777’ (40 points), Delhi’s Saahib Bawa ‘Junta’ (35 points), Kerala’s Sreekanth Narayan ‘n0thing’ (32 points), Haryana’s Snehil Aggarwal ‘GTORanges’ (31 points), Uttar Pradesh’s Vikhyat Ahlawat ‘supersaiyan57’ (30 points),

Rajasthan’s Anish Vijay ‘Fishlover001’ (22 points), Tamil Nadu’s Aditya Sushant ‘gangajal’ (20 points), Chandigarh’s Ankit Wadhawan ‘d00mtr00per’ (20 points), West Bengal’s Goonjan Mall ‘gmtesting’ (20 points), and Arunachal Pradesh’s Wilson Yomso ‘kalingkaling’ (20 points).

Bhanu Prakash KC ‘Chennaino1’ – Running Hot at #1
A movie and football buff, 37-year-old Bhanu Prakash KC ‘Chennaino1’ from Ramanagar, Karnataka is widely acclaimed as a Leaderboard Crusher. The B.Tech in IT worked for a Software firm for 6 years before he decided to quit. While between jobs, he discovered Poker and realized he was good at it.

He has been playing the game professionally for 10 years and is mostly self-taught apart from undertaking 10 coaching sessions from Arsh Grover in the early days.

Bhanu’s USP is his patience at grinding long tournament series – he chases the Leaderboards in most series he plays.

Bhanu has topped the India Leaderboard with 40 points – 3 Gold medals, 2 Silver.

On the side he has also topped the Series Leaderboard with 38.07K points!

Bhanu’s medal haul:

• 🥇 Gold – NPS#37 Knockout 50L GTD (KO) – 5.8 LAC (Feb 28)
• 🥈 Silver – NPS#38 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT – 2.79 LAC (Feb 28)
• 🥇 Gold – NPS#58 Megadive – 2.46 LAC (Mar 3)
• 🥈 Silver – NPS#49 (6-Max) SPRINT – 2.93 LAC (Mar 10)
• 🥇Gold – NPS#131 (6-Max) Hyper – 2.27 LAC (March 15)

Zarvan Tumboli ‘MomSaid5Bet’ – Turning the Tables!
In the heated battle for supremacy in the Maharashtra rankings, we wondered if the PokerBaazi Team Pro would find a way to surpass Gopal Bajaj ‘AiDarwin’. And sure enough, Zarvan delivered!

On Monday night, Tumboli secured a Bronze in the NPS#190 Golden Rush, bringing his total National Poker Series India medal count to an incredible 6—all in the 2025 edition alone!

But that’s not all—his performance across the series has been a testament to his consistency and prowess.

Zarvan has cashed in 115 of 191 tournaments to secure 48.89 LAC in cashes at the series, boasting a stellar 60% cashout rate.

Even more impressive – he reached 7 final tables, earning medals in 6 of them, cementing his reputation as one of the fiercest competitors in the game!
Zarvan’s medal haul:

• 🥇 Gold – NPS#6 Marathon – 5.69 LAC (Feb 23)
• 🥈 Silver – NPS#14 (PLO-6) Megadive – 3.03 LAC (Feb 24)
• 🥈 Silver – NPS#20 (PLO-5) – 2.63 LAC (Feb 25)
• 🥈 Silver – NPS#67 Tuesday Tornado – 8.28 LAC (March 4)
• 🥈 Silver – NPS#175 (PLO-5) Highroller – 5.43 LAC (March 21)
• 🥉 Bronze – NPS#190 Golden Rush – 5.29 LAC (March 24)

The Race to National Poker Champion – Who are the Others?
All the top 12 players have topped their respective states to win a cash prize of 2 LAC.

The action now moves to the National Poker Champion showdown – a five-day offline event in Goa where the Top 12 players on the India Leaderboard will compete in an epic live match in Goa – all to be live-steamed on OTT.

While Bhanu and Zarvan have made defining moves to secure their spots, let’s take a look at the other 10 players who have booked their seats in the finale.

Gujarat’s Mohit Bohra – On #2 with 40 Points
Ahmedabad, Gujarat-based 32-year-old Mohit Bohra ‘bullets777’ has built an impressive resume of live and online Poker feats. Currently based out of Bengaluru, Mohit has been chasing the Series Leaderboard where he is currently ranked #7. He has won 3 tournaments at the National Poker Series India 2025, secured 36.06 LAC in winnings and delivered a cashout ratio of 66% – making ITM finishes in 126 of 191 tournaments he has played.
Mohit’s medal haul:

• 🥈 Silver – NPS#6 Marathon – 4 LAC (Feb 23)
• 🥇 Gold – NPS#27 Slamdunk – 2.45 LAC (Feb 26)
• 🥈 Silver – NPS#45 Knockout – 2.41 LAC (Mar 1)
• 🥇 Gold – NPS#92 Relay – 4.6 LAC (Mar 8)
• 🥇 Gold – NPS#112 (7-Max) SPRINT – 2.27 LAC (March 11)

Saahib Bawa ‘Junta’ – Ruling the Delhi Rankings
With 4 medals that includes a solid 3 Gold, Saahib Bawa ‘Junta’ has taken the top spot in Delhi rankings. Though he played National Poker Series India tournaments quite selectively, his run has been nothing short of spectacular – he made it to 4 final tables and finished in the podium in all of them – winning his first 4 National Poker Series India medals in a single edition!

He has secured 30.21 LAC from 21 cashes out of 60 tournaments he entered. Saahib ranks at #3 on the India Leaderboard with 35 points.
Saahib’s medal haul:

• 🥇 Gold – NPS#40 Friday Freestyle – 12.02 LAC (Feb 28)
• 🥈 Silver – NPS#62 Slamdunk – 2.27 LAC (March 3)
• 🥇 Gold – NPS#161 (6-MAX) Big SPRINT – 7.43 LAC (March 19)
• 🥇 Gold – NPS#160 Knockout – 3.47 LAC (March 19)

Sreekanth Narayan ‘n0thing’ – Giving it His Best Shot!
Kerala’s Sreekanth Narayan ‘n0thing’, the 2023 G.O.A.T runner-up had never won a medal in the National Poker Series India – until 2025.

This year he has exploded into the National Poker Series India scene like never before – playing 131 tournaments and cashing 54 – a 41% cashout rate at the series! Sreekanth sailed into 7 final tables and returned with 5 medals.

All his medal victories have been in March and Sreekanth’s medal wins have propelled him on #4 on the India Leaderboard with 32 points.
Sreekanth’s medal haul:

• 🥈 Silver – NPS#47 Slamdunk – 8.82 LAC (March 1)
• 🥈 Silver – NPS#138 (4-Max) Hyper SPRINT – 2.73 LAC (March 16)
• 🥇 Gold – NPS#157 Megadive – 2.9 LAC (March 19)
• 🥉 Bronze – NPS#170 (7-Max) SPRINT – 2.38 LAC (March 20)
• 🥇 Gold – NPS#173 Marathon – 2.20 LAC (March 21)

Snehil Aggarwal ‘GTORanges’ – Working His Way Up
On Rank #6 is Haryana’s Snehil Aggarwal ‘GTOranges’ who stands out with 5 medals. The 25-year-old who is based out of Bengaluru and works in the gaming sector, started playing Poker when he was just 13 and has over time built an impressive resume which includes four Baazi Turbo Series titles, an India Poker Masters and WPT India Online title each.

Snehil’s form has pushed his career medal count to 8 – 7 medals at the 2025 edition alone! At the National Poker Series India 2025 his cashout rate is 67% – has cashed 127 of 190 tournaments, securing 44.45 LAC in winnings.

Meanwhile, on the National Poker Series India Series Leaderboard he currently ranks #9 with 30.99K points.

Snehil’s medal haul:

• 🥉 Bronze – NPS#155 (PLO-5) Knockout – 3.19 LAC (March 18)
• 🥇 Gold – NPS#162 (PLO-4) Highroller – 4.59 Lac (March 19)
• 🥉 Bronze – NPS#163 (6-Max) Hyper SPRINT – 2.23 LAC (March 19)
• 🥇 Gold – NPS#169 Deepdive – 5.56 Lac (March 20)
• 🥈 Silver – NPS#176 Megadive – 2.74 Lac (March 21)

Vikhyat Ahlawat ‘Supersaiyan57’
Hailing from Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, and currently living in Noida, 31-year-old Vikhyat Ahlawat ‘supersaiyan57’ completed his B.Tech in IT from Indraprastha University. He was introduced to Poker through a home game about 5 years ago and started playing seriously during the COVID lockdown.

Vikhyat eventually quit his job to pursue Poker full-time, and he hasn’t returned to an office since. While online Poker is his main focus, he enjoys mixing in some live Poker, spending a few months each year traveling to international Poker destinations like Europe, Asia, and Vietnam.

A former The Gamechanger finalist, Vikhyat has a career tally of 8 National Poker Series India medals and he won 4 of them in the current edition.
Vikhyat’s Medal Haul:

• 🥇 Gold – NPS#12 Monday Marathon – 9.55 LAC- (Feb 24)
• 🥇 Gold – NPS#29 (7-Max) SPRINT -3.94 LAC (Feb 27)
• 🥈 Silver – NPS#123 (PLO-6) Deepdive – 2.02 LAC (March 13)
• 🥈 Silver – NPS#186 Marathon – 3.29 LAC (March 23)

Vikhyat who is being coached by Aditya Agarwal, is ranked at #7 on the India Leaderboard with 30 points and tops the Uttar Pradesh Leaderboard.

Rajasthan’s Anish Vijay ‘Fishlover001’ On #8
A former The MoneyMaker champion, 26-year-old Anish Vijay ‘Fishlover001’ from Udaipur, Rajasthan, reached a career milestone at the National Poker Series India 2025 with a dazzling third-place finish in the NPS#82 Mega Rush where he finished third for a career-best score of 18.92 LAC.

He has won 3 medals at the series including 2 Gold and 1 Bronze, securing 22 points that ranks him at #8 on the India Leaderboard.
Anish’s medal haul:

• 🥇Gold –NPS#80 Slamdunk – 5.75 LAC (March 6)
• 🥉 Bronze – NPS#82 Mega Rush – 18.92 LAC (March 6)
• 🥇Gold – NPS#170 (7-Max) SPRINT – 4.44 LAC (March 20)

Tamil Nadu’s Aditya Sushant ‘gangajal’ – In Chase at #9
Two-time WSOP bracelet champion and two-time Aditya Sushant ‘gangajal’ actively competed in the National Poker Series India 2025 in March, adding 2 shiny Gold medals to his medal repertoire of 4. Aditya has played a total of 188 tournaments and cashed in 122 of them – a 65% cashout rate!

While Aditya was gunning for the Gold for a long time and made it to 6 final tables he struck Gold only in the closing weekend, taking down the NPS#171 (PLO-5) Knockout first, followed by the NPS#189 Afterparty.
Aditya’s medal haul:

• 🥇 Gold – NPS#171 (PLO-5) Knockout – 3 LAC (March 21)
• 🥇 Gold – NPS#189 Afterparty – 3.21 LAC (March 23)
• 5th in NPS#133 Saturday Showdown – 2.56 LAC (March 15)

Ankit Wadhawan ‘d00mtr00per’ Puts Chandigarh in the Race
Chandigarh’s Ankit Wadhawan ‘d00mtr00per’ is one of the known heavyweights at the National Poker Series India, with 10 medals to his name – 2 of which he has won over the past month.

Ankit recreated some of his old magic on the felts, pulling 2 Gold.
Ankit’s Medal haul:

• 🥇Gold – NPS#31 Relay (2.50 LAC) – Feb 27
• 🥇Gold – NPS#65 (PLO-5) (2.77 LAC) – March 4

Wilson Yomso ‘kalingkaling’ Keeps Arunachal Pradesh in Top 12
Wilson Yomso may turn heads with his flashy hairstyles during live Poker series, but when it comes to grinding for the top spot in the National Poker Series India, he’s all business.

The banker who has previously won prestigious titles like The MoneyMaker and the PPL PLO Highroller is another hot contender to watch out for in the National Poker Champion showdown!
Wilson’s Medal haul:

• 🥇Gold – NPS#128 Megadive – 3.51 LAC (March 13)
• 🥇Gold – NPS#138 (4-Max) Hyper SPRINT – 3.91 LAC (March 15)

Take a quick look at the Top 12 players who have secured their spots in the ultimate National Poker Champion showdown!

The race to become the first-ever National Poker Champion is on, and one of these 12 players is about to make history! The ultimate champion won’t just claim the title – they’ll also unlock a 1 CR Freeroll for their entire state.

Stay tuned!