Commonwealth Games 2026: All you need to know about Murali Sreeshankar

Murali Sreeshankar returns to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with unfinished business.

Four years after becoming the first Indian male long jumper to win a Commonwealth Games silver medal, the Kerala athlete heads into the 2026 edition as one of India's strongest medal contenders.

Having battled career-threatening injuries and staged a remarkable comeback, Sreeshankar is once again among the country's leading field event athletes and will be aiming to add another chapter to an already impressive career.

Early days

Born on March 27, 1999, in Palakkad, Kerala, Sreeshankar grew up in a family where athletics was a way of life.

His father, S. Murali, was a former triple jumper and South Asian Games silver medallist, while his mother, K. S. Bijimol, won silver in the 800m at the 1992 Asian Junior Athletics Championships.

His younger sister, Sreeparvathy, is also an athlete and competes in the heptathlon.

Sreeshankar's sporting journey began on the track rather than the sand pit. Under the guidance of his father, he initially excelled as a sprinter and became a state-level under-10 champion in both the 50m and 100m events.

It was only at the age of 13 that he transitioned to the long jump, a decision that would ultimately define his career.

He completed his schooling at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kanjikode, and later pursued a BSc in Mathematics at Government Victoria College, Palakkad.

Alongside his education, Sreeshankar became part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and began training at the JSW Inspire Institute of Sport in Bellary under the continued guidance of his father.

Rising through the ranks

Sreeshankar announced himself as one of India's brightest long jump prospects in 2018.

He qualified for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games after clearing 7.99m at the Federation Cup in Patiala but was forced to withdraw following an emergency appendicitis surgery, a setback that also resulted in significant weight loss during recovery.

Despite the disappointment, he returned later that year to win bronze at the Asian Junior Athletics Championships before finishing sixth at the Asian Games in Jakarta.

The breakthrough came at the National Open Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, where Sreeshankar leapt 8.20m to break the national record.

The effort also made him the first Indian long jumper to qualify for the 2019 World Athletics Championships, although he narrowly missed out on a place in the final in Doha.

His rise continued in 2021 when he improved the national record to 8.26m at the Federation Cup to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

Although he could not progress beyond the qualification round, the experience proved valuable as he established himself among Asia's leading long jumpers.

International success

Sreeshankar enjoyed the most successful phase of his career between 2022 and 2023. He reached the final of the 2022 World Athletics Championships, finishing seventh against some of the world's best jumpers.

A few weeks later, he scripted history at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham by winning the silver medal with a jump of 8.08m, becoming the first Indian male long jumper to claim silver at the Games.

He followed it up with another silver medal at the Asian Games before reaching new heights in 2023.

Sreeshankar produced a personal best of 8.41m in Bhubaneswar and delivered another medal-winning performance at the Asian Athletics Championships, cementing his place among the continent's elite jumpers. His consistent performances also earned him the prestigious Arjuna Award in 2023.

Overcoming setbacks

Just when Sreeshankar appeared to be peaking ahead of the Paris Olympics, another setback struck.

In April 2024, he suffered a serious knee injury that required surgery in Doha, ruling him out of the Olympic Games. It marked the second major injury interruption of his career after the appendicitis setback in 2018.

The injury meant months of rehabilitation, but Sreeshankar returned to competition in 2025 with renewed confidence.

He marked his comeback by winning the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze-level meeting in Maia before steadily rediscovering the form that had made him one of Asia's premier long jumpers.

Sreeshankar heads into the 2026 Commonwealth Games with momentum firmly on his side.

His recent performances, including jumps beyond the 8.38m mark and victory at the Simbine Classic on the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver circuit, have reaffirmed his status as one of India's leading medal contenders.

Although Jeswin Aldrin now holds the Indian national record with 8.42m, Sreeshankar's personal best of 8.41m remains among the finest marks by an Indian and underlines his consistency at the highest level.

Having already won Commonwealth Games and Asian Games silver medals, reached a World Championships final and overcome multiple injury setbacks, Sreeshankar returns to Glasgow hoping to convert years of perseverance into another podium finish.

For one of India's most accomplished field event athletes, the Commonwealth Games present another opportunity to reaffirm his place among the country's modern athletics greats.