AVC Men's Volleyball Cup: India beat Australia to finish unbeaten in group stage
The hosts will now make their first-ever appearance in the semi-finals of the AVC Men's Volleyball Cup on Saturday.
India defeated Australia in the final group game of AVC Volleyball Cup (Photo Credits: AVC)
India continued their dream run at the 2026 AVC Men's Volleyball Cup, defeating Australia in straight sets to register a fifth consecutive victory on Thursday.
Playing at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad, the hosts overcame Australia 26-24, 25-16, 30-28 to finish unbeaten at the top of their group.
Joel Benjamin Jebaraj starred for India with a match-high 13 points, while India's tournament top scorer Chirag Yadav and captain Jerome Vinith contributed 12 points each in another dominant team performance.
India clinched the match in straight sets, but the former Asian Champions didn't make it easy for the hosts and stretched the first and third sets into deuce.
However, they couldn't snatch any of them, and India cleanswept their way in the group stage with yet another win and looking like a strong title contender.
India climbs FIVB rankings
The victory also boosted India's standing in the FIVB world rankings, with the team climbing six places to world No. 42. The result also lifted India into the top eight among Asian nations, overtaking Pakistan and strengthening their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 Asian Games.
The hosts will now make their first-ever appearance in the semi-finals of the AVC Men's Volleyball Cup on Saturday. They will face the second-placed team from Group B, where all five teams still remain in contention for knockout berths.
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