Patna: In a display of exceptional crossword-solving prowess, six-time Indian Crossword League (IXL) champion Ramki Krishnan has surged to the top of the overall leaderboard in the 2024 edition of the contest. Krishnan, who hails from Chennai, secured first place in the seventh weekly online round with a perfect score of 100 points, solidifying his position as the frontrunner in the global competition.
Following closely behind, Samit Kallianur, a healthcare professional from Secunderabad, claimed second place, while Harish Kamath from Bangalore took third, finishing just two points behind Kallianur with 98 points.
Despite dominating the earlier stages of the contest with five top finishes, Eric Agard, who had previously been a strong contender, slipped to 73rd place in this round. The setback caused Agard’s overall ranking to drop to 13th, allowing Indian participants to dominate the leaderboard.
For the first time in the competition’s history, all of the top eight spots in the overall rankings are now held by Indian participants, with Krishnan leading the pack. This year’s contest has seen an impressive shift in dominance as Indian solvers continue to outshine international competitors.
In the seventh weekly online round of the Indian Crossword League 2024, the top 10 performers were Ramki Krishnan from Chennai, Samit Kallianur from Secunderabad, Harish Kamath from Bangalore, Sohil Bhagat from Bengaluru, Madhup Tewari from New Delhi, Suresh Dorbala from Visakhapatnam, Swathi Ravi from Bengaluru, Viswanathan A from Chennai, Neville Fogarty from Newport News, USA, and Shruthi Ravi from Shillong.
After seven rounds of competition, the overall rankings are led by Ramki Krishnan from Chennai, followed by Shashwat Salgaocar from Panaji, Samit Kallianur from Secunderabad, Madhup Tewari from New Delhi, Viswanathan A from Chennai, Venkatraghavan S. from Mumbai, Swathi Ravi from Bengaluru, Vasant Srinivasan from Banchang, Sohil Bhagat from Bengaluru, and Neville Fogarty from Newport News, USA.
The competition is heating up with only three more online rounds remaining. The eighth round is scheduled for November 3rd, where participants will once again put their crossword-solving skills to the test at crypticsingh.com.
