The National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the results of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Bachelor) Neet (UG) 2026 on Thursday. The agency stated that the publication of results was timely to keep the medical admission and counseling calendar on schedule.
Approximately two million participants took the Neet (UG) 2026 exam, spread across 5440 centers in 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad. Out of this number, 1,121 thousand candidates qualified for undergraduate programs in medicine, dentistry, AYUSH, and related fields.
The highest score in Neet UG 2026 was achieved by Aryan Gupta from Ludhiana, who secured the first rank in the All India Rank (AIR 1) with an exceptional percentile of 99.9999. Panshul Bansal from Haryana also achieved the second rank in the All India Rank (AIR 2) with the same percentile.
Other highly ranked candidates include Uplakshyu Goyal from Rajasthan, who ranked AIR 3 with a percentile of 99.99985, and Ayush Bhalotia from Bihar—AIR 4. Kudale Shravani Krishna from Maharashtra became the highest-ranked female candidate, securing AIR 5, followed by Riya Ranjan from Bihar at AIR 6.
Among the top 138 ranked candidates, Maharashtra showed the largest representation with 22 participants, followed by Rajasthan (18) and Punjab (11). Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh each provided nine candidates, while Gujarat and Delhi contributed eight candidates each.
Several other candidates from the list of leaders shared their preparation methods, emphasizing the importance of discipline, consistency, and family support for achieving success. Ayush Bhalotia, who ranked AIR 4, reported scoring 710 marks and maintaining a disciplined study routine while preparing in Kota. He told ANI: 'I scored 710 marks and ranked 4th in the All India Rank... I dedicated about five to seven hours to self-study and attended classes for six hours every day.'
Critic Jain, who ranked AIR 18, stressed that he focused on doing his best rather than aiming for a specific rank. He told ANI: 'I tried to give my absolute best, although at the time I wasn't really thinking about achieving a specific rank. My only goal was to give everything I had... My parents were incredibly supportive. When I got good results, they were very happy, which motivated me further. When my results weren't as good, they told me not to get upset. They reminded me that there was still room for improvement and that I could do better, especially since there was still plenty of time before the NEET exam.'
Gudjan, who ranked AIR 52, linked her success to continuous learning and teachers' advice. She told ANI: 'I studied hard and followed my teachers' advice. I studied for about six to seven hours daily. Including classes, my total study time reached approximately ten hours. My family supported me greatly.'
Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a fifteen-year-old player, attracted the attention of the entire cricketing world as the Indian team decided not to include him in the final T20I match against England.
This young batting talent broke Sachin Tendulkar's record, becoming the youngest player selected for the Indian national team and the youngest Indian representative across all formats. He is also a debutant for the country in Tests and the youngest in T20Is history.
Previously, Suryavanshi demonstrated impressive form for the Rajasthan Royals, scoring a total of 776 runs, including a century and a fifty, and becoming the tournament's top scorer by hitting a record 72 sixes.
However, this successful form did not translate to the international level. In the first three matches against England, he managed to score only 14 runs at Manchester, 13 in Nottingham, and 15 in Bristol.
In the final T20I match against England, India decided to drop Suryavanshi, which was a controversial move and drew dissatisfaction among cricket legends. Nevertheless, Indian captain Shreyas Iyer defended the decision during the post-match press conference.
Iyer stated that Suryavanshi had to give way to Sanju Samson, who, according to him, 'has won us so many series in the past.' He clarified that the management wanted to form a combination of left-handers and right-handers in the top order batting, leading to the pairing of Samson and Abhishek Sharma.
Great Indian cricket personality Sunil Gavaskar noted that the young player deserved another chance and mentioned that Suryavanshi appeared dejected, according to Indian media. Gavaskar added, 'I just hope someone puts a hand on his shoulder, some senior player, and says: 'Look, this is not the end'.' He also emphasized that if there was a chance to win the series, he would understand the need to give a chance to another player, but given the current scoreline (3-0), making an Indian victory impossible, Suryavanshi should have been kept in the squad.
Meanwhile, former player Mohammad Kaif, considered one of India's greatest fielders, expressed his bewilderment, stating that he 'has never seen such confusing Indian cricket management.' He addressed the team, noting that both Suryavanshi and Samson 'should receive confidence, not doubts in their minds.'
Former Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu criticized the poor communication. He advised the team to 'take a little more care of him,' pointing out that Suryavanshi is a young player 'who will serve Indian cricket for 20–25 years.' Rayudu also noted that it is 'very important for the management to absorb all the negativity, soak up all the pressure, and keep such young people in a bubble of positivity,' according to Indian media reports.
The second unofficial test match, held in the city of Galle, concluded with India defeating Sri Lanka by 10 wickets. With this victory, the Indian team secured a 1-0 series lead.
After the first match ended in a draw, the win in this contest was critically important for India. In the first half of the game, the Indian team scored 543 runs, giving them a lead of 177 runs. Key players in this match include Sai Sudarshan, who played a magnificent innings of 168 runs, as well as Devdutt Padikkal with 94 runs, Dhruv Jurel with 53 runs, and Saransh Jain, who remained not out with 70* runs.
The main hero of this match was fast bowler Gurnur Bharara. He demonstrated an outstanding performance, taking 4 wickets in the first innings and another 6 wickets during the second half of the game on the fourth and final day. Thus, his total wickets in the match reached ten. His powerful play led to Sri Lanka's second innings being reduced to 209 runs.
India only needed 33 runs to win, and Sai Sudarshan and Aman Mokhade achieved this target in just 6.2 overs without losing any wickets. Under the leadership of Dhruv Jurel, the Indian team won the series 1-0. In this unofficial series, Sai Sudarshan scored the most runs over two matches—332, while Gurnur Bharara took the most wickets—10. This outstanding performance by Gurnur Bharara is seen as an important signal for the Indian team ahead of the upcoming Test series in Sri Lanka, strengthening his position in the national squad.
