India continued its strong start to the Asian Games 2026 shooting competition as Himanshu Dhillon won the silver medal and Rudrankksh Patil secured bronze in the men’s 10m air rifle individual event on September 21.
The Indian pair produced a double podium finish in a closely contested final in Aichi-Nagoya. China’s Sheng Lihao won the gold medal with a score of 254.2 points. Himanshu finished second with 252.4 points, while Rudrankksh took the bronze medal with 230.9 points.
The result was particularly notable because both Indian shooters had already contributed to another medal earlier in the day. Himanshu, Rudrankksh and Parth Mane combined to win silver in the men’s 10m air rifle team event. India finished the team competition with 1890.1 points, behind China’s 1899.0, while South Korea took bronze.
The individual final began with Rudrankksh making a strong start. He scored 52.8 in the opening series and followed it with 53.2 in the second series to establish an early lead. Himanshu also remained among the leading shooters as the competition progressed.
After 12 shots, Rudrankksh was leading with 127.4 points. Himanshu was second with 126.6, while Sheng Lihao was close behind on 126.3. The competition remained tight as the shooters moved through the elimination stages.
Sheng eventually moved into the lead after 16 shots, reaching 168.8 points. Rudrankksh and Himanshu were level at 168.6, keeping both Indian shooters firmly in contention for medals.
Himanshu then produced an important 10.9 shot to move close to Rudrankksh. He followed it with a 9.8 but recovered with a 10.6 to remain in the medal positions. The battle between the Indian shooters and Sheng continued to remain close.
After 20 shots, Sheng had extended his lead to one point. Rudrankksh stood second on 210.6, while Himanshu was third on 210.0. With only a few shots remaining, all three remained in contention for the podium.
The final stages produced a dramatic finish for the Indian shooters. Rudrankksh was eliminated after 22 shots with a score of 230.9. He finished just 0.1 point behind Himanshu, who had reached 231.0 at that stage. Rudrankksh therefore secured the bronze medal.
Himanshu then entered the final two-man contest against Sheng for the gold medal. Both shooters produced 10.6 on their final shots, but Sheng finished ahead to claim gold. Himanshu ended the competition with 252.4 points and took silver.
For Himanshu, the medal represents a significant achievement at his Asian Games debut. The young shooter had already contributed to India’s team silver earlier in the day and then followed it with an individual silver medal.
Himanshu had qualified for the individual final with a score of 630.0 points. He finished seventh in qualification but improved his position during the final and eventually secured second place. His performance included several crucial shots during the elimination stages, allowing him to remain in medal contention until the final two-shooter contest.
Rudrankksh also entered the final with an impressive qualification performance. He scored 631.8 points to finish third in qualification and entered the final as one of the leading contenders. He maintained that position through much of the competition before eventually finishing with the bronze medal.
Rudrankksh is an established name in Indian shooting. He won the men's 10m air rifle world title in 2022 and has represented India at major international competitions. His bronze medal in Nagoya adds another Asian Games podium finish to his career.
The success of Himanshu and Rudrankksh also continued India’s strong medal run in shooting at the 2026 Asian Games. India had already won two silver medals in the women’s 10m air rifle events on the opening day. Elavenil Valarivan won individual silver after being part of the women’s team that also finished second.
The three medals won by the men’s 10m air rifle team and individual shooters on September 21 further strengthened India’s shooting medal tally. The team silver came first, followed by Himanshu’s individual silver and Rudrankksh’s bronze.
China’s Sheng Lihao once again proved difficult to overcome in the event. The Chinese shooter produced a score of 254.2 to win gold and set a Games record, finishing ahead of Himanshu in the final stages.
The double podium for India nevertheless provided an important result for the country’s shooting contingent. Having two Indian shooters finish in the top three of the same individual event gave India both silver and bronze in the men’s 10m air rifle.
The performance also highlighted the depth of India’s current shooting squad. Alongside experienced international competitors such as Rudrankksh, younger shooters including Himanshu and Parth Mane have contributed to the medal campaign.
Earlier in the day, the trio of Himanshu, Rudrankksh and Parth Mane finished second in the team event. Their combined score of 1890.1 earned India the silver medal, while China set a new world record with 1899.0 points. South Korea took the bronze.
With Himanshu’s silver and Rudrankksh’s bronze, India added two individual shooting medals to its Asian Games tally. The results also meant that the men’s 10m air rifle competition produced three medals for India on the same day when the team silver is included.
The Asian Games 2026 will continue with Indian athletes competing across several disciplines. The shooting contingent will remain one of the key groups expected to contribute to India’s medal tally during the Games.
For now, Himanshu Dhillon’s silver and Rudrankksh Patil’s bronze have given India a memorable double podium in the men’s 10m air rifle. Their performances, combined with the earlier team silver, made September 21 an important day for Indian shooting at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.