In sport, five years is forever, and predicting what might happen that far down the line can often seem a futile task. With so many variables in the way and the inherent fickleness of sport, there can never be 100% certainty to predictions... but with the official disclaimers out of the way, why don't we just go ahead and do it?
With Ahmedabad, Gujarat having been confirmed as hosts of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, we look at eight sportspeople who we think will headline the first CWG in India since Delhi, 2010:
Note: We've included three optional sports we feel India will opt for considering their prowess in them: cricket, shooting and archery.
Manu Bhaker
From an Indian ecosystem perspective, shooting is an incredible sport. Every big championship, there are newer, younger shooters coming to the fray, searching for the spotlight, and often finding it. Suruchi Phogat, 19, was one of the stars of the first half of 2025 (4 World Cup golds) while Samrat Rana, 20, one of the stars of the second half (World Championship gold). But amid all this constant churn it's sometimes easy to overlook the obvious, steady answer: Manu Bhaker.
She was the face of the Tokyo disaster for the shooting contingent; she was the reason for their Paris glory. Come 2030, she'll only be 28 and will likely have had one more Olympic Games under her belt. In that case, she will remain the leader of India's shooting contingent.
Pooja Singh
I.N.C.R.E.D.I.B.L.E. �� ��
18-year-old Pooja Singh LEAPS 1.89m to clinch gold in the high jump event at the Asian Athletics Championship ��
�� Three gold medals for India on Day 4 ���� �� pic.twitter.com/E3tE7jwdvz
- ESPN India (@ESPNIndia) May 30, 2025
The high jumper is current Asian Athletics Championship gold medallist. Current Junior Nationals record holder. CWG Youth Games bronze medallist from two years ago. Going from height to height with every jump. Pooja is only 18 now... meaning she'll be hitting 23 and the start of her athletic prime once it's time for her to take to the sky in Ahmedabad.
Athletics is arguably the toughest nut to crack from an Indian perspective in the Commonwealth Games, which is what makes Indian athletes with the potential to do it so special. Watch out for Pooja, who certainly has that potential.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi
An IPL star already, Vaibhav Suryavanshi is on the fast track to headlining Indian cricket and if evidence from the IPL and India A cricket is to be considered, there's not much anyone can do to stop him. When the home CWG rolls around, Vaibhav will be -- and this is quite incredible to just type out -- just 19 years old.
For the next great hope, Ahmedabad 2030 might just be a key pitstop en-route sporting superstardom.
Anahat Singh
Three years ago, then 14-year-old Anahat captured the nation's imagination with her spectacular performances on the squash courts of Birmingham. The youngest member of the Indian squad at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, she'll be 22 and the undisputed leader of the squash team by the time Ahmedabad comes around (considering veterans Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal are 39 and 34 respectively now).
Neeraj Chopra
There's a bit of split opinion about this one.
On the 'nay' side you have the fact that he will be 32 in five years' time and considering the breakage and wear and tear that body of his is going through, it'll take some doing to remain fighting fight through 2030. Just how much strength and desire will remain in body and mind after he fights for a third Olympic medal in Los Angeles?
On the 'yay' side, though, is the fact that his name is Neeraj Chopra and he is India's greatest ever athlete. If he's fit, anywhere close to fit, he will want to take part, and everyone in India will want him to take part... and if he does, there's zero doubt that he is going to be the face of the Games.
Sheetal Devi
Like shooting and cricket, archery is a safe bet to make the roster in Ahmedabad (like it did in Delhi 2010). With the welcome, added emphasis on inclusion of para-sport in the Games, expect para-archery to be prominent. And that can only mean one thing: Sheetal Devi steps up to the spotlight once again.
The world's first armless woman to win a Paralympic archery medal or become World Champion, India's youngest Paralympic medalist and reigning Asian Games champ, Sheetal is a phenomenon already at age 18. In five years, she'll only be even more of a sure shot for a medal. If archery, and para-archery are there, Sheetal will be one of the most popular names in the contingent.
Araijeet Singh Hundal
In the history of the CWG, the men's hockey gold has only ever been won by Australia. In Gujarat, though, India should fancy their chances of rewriting history. Key to that will be the next gen of hockey players... and they're led by 21-year-old forward Araijeet Singh Hundal.
Fast, direct, and hungry for goals, Araijeet -- by then entering his prime -- could be the talisman around whom India build their attack.
Tanvi Sharma
The first Indian to win multiple medals in a single edition of the Badminton World Junior Championships, the 16-year-old Tanvi Sharma is a proper prodigy. Already a runner-up in a senior BWF Super 300 event, she's easing into the big leagues with a dexterity and ambition that is uncommon.
Like with most youngsters on this list, it's too early to say she'll follow in the footsteps of the likes of Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu, but she has an aura to her that makes her potential to so stand out. One of the (few) bright sparks for Indian badminton in 2025, she could well be the torchbearer of Indian hopes in half-a-decade's time.