Prateek Waikar, the captain of the Indian men's Kho Kho team, is all set to lead his side in the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup 2025, set to kick off at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on Monday. Waikar has been playing Kho Kho for 24 years, starting at the young age of eight. He began representing the Maharashtra team in 2003 and has since become one of the most prominent figures in the game.

Reflecting on the honour of captaining the Indian team, Waikar expressed his emotions with pride.

"It's a dream come true. To lead 125 crore people in Kho Kho is not an ordinary thing. The hard work I've been putting in for the last 24 years has finally paid off. I've always envisioned this moment on the field, thinking, 'I have to do this.' I waited many years for this opportunity, and today, I'm leading my country with the Indian flag flying across the world. It's a surreal feeling," Waikar told ANI.