India’s No. 1 Nitin Kumar created history at the 2026 Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) World Darts Championship as the first from the country ever to win a match. At the Alexandra Palace, in London, Kumar defeated Richard Veenstra of the Netherlands 3-2.
Nicknamed ‘The Royal Bengal’, the 40-year-old had participated in the previous four editions of the World Championships, but lost in the first round on all four occasions.
In the 2025 edition, he won his first ever set at the Worlds, in the 3-1 defeat to England’s Martin ‘Smash’ Lukeman.
Although it’s calendar year 2025, the ongoing event is actually the 2026. World Championship. In the historic match in London, Veenstra started strong and hit five 100-plus rounds, 144 being the highest. Kumar didn’t have big rounds, but he was consistent throughout. Finally, he won by hitting all the last seven doubles.
Kumar needed 76 to win the third set. After a triple-20, he had to get a double-8. The crowd erupted as he clinched India’s first match win at the Worlds.
With this win, Kumar reached the Round of 64, in the first-ever edition with 128 players. He’ll face the winner of Stephen Bunting (WR-4) and Sebastian Bialecki.
Kumar would be an overwhelming underdog in the next match to be played on Saturday, December 20, considering Bunting would win his match. However, this will mark a new chapter for the Indian darts community.
Speaking to BBC after the win, Kumar said, “I don’t know what to say right now. I’m overwhelmed, I’m happy. If you dream it, anything is possible. I’ve dreamed of this ever since I saw Dennis Priestly win the World Championship (in 1994),” he added.
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