Indian table tennis has reached a historic milestone. The men's doubles pair of Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah has climbed to a career-best World No. 3 in the latest International Table Tennis Federation rankings, becoming the highest-ranked Indian table tennis players in history.

With 3,560 ranking points, the Gujarat duo now trails only China's Lin Shidong and Huang Youzheng, and France's celebrated brothers Alexis Lebrun and Félix Lebrun.

Surpassing an Indian Milestone

Until now, the record belonged to former women's doubles stars Manika Batra and Archana Kamath, who reached World No. 4 in 2022. Manika had also climbed to World No. 5 in mixed doubles alongside Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, setting benchmarks that inspired a generation of Indian paddlers.

Now, Thakkar and Shah have gone one step further, becoming the first Indians ever to break into the world's top three in doubles.

Built on Consistency

Their remarkable rise has not been powered by a single magical tournament but by months of consistent excellence against the world's strongest opponents.

The duo earned a massive 900 ranking points after reaching the semi-finals of the Singapore Smash 2026, before adding another 580 points with a quarter-final finish at the US Smash 2026. Earlier, they had finished runners-up at the 2025 WTT Star Contender Foz do Iguaçu and lifted the 2026 WTT Contender Lagos title, a breakthrough victory that first propelled them into the world's top four.

Instead of slowing down after that success, the pair continued to build momentum, proving that they belonged among the elite.

Conquering the World's Best

One of the defining moments of their journey came at the WTT United States Smash 2026. Seeded fifth, the Indians faced reigning world champions Shunsuke Togami and Sora Matsushima in a high-pressure Round of 16 clash.

Despite entering as underdogs, Manav and Manush delivered one of the finest performances of their partnership, showcasing fearless shot-making, tactical brilliance and unwavering composure against one of the strongest doubles teams in world table tennis. Victories like these have transformed them from promising contenders into genuine medal hopefuls on the international stage.

The timing of this historic achievement could hardly be better. Both players have earned places in India's men's squad for the upcoming Asian Games, alongside experienced stars Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Harmeet Desai and rising youngster Payas Jain.