Bengaluru: Ramki Krishnan of Chennai on Sunday clinched the National Crossword Champion trophy for a record eighth time, emerging winner at the Grand Finale of the 13th Indian Crossword League (IXL) held in Bengaluru.
Krishnan, one of India’s most decorated crossword solvers, returned to the top after a gap of two years, reaffirming his stature in the country’s competitive cryptic crossword circuit. The runner-up position went to Sohil Bhagat of Bengaluru, while Shashwat Salgaocar of Goa finished as second runner-up.
The offline Grand Finale, among the most anticipated events on India’s crossword calendar, featured 24 finalists who qualified after nearly two and a half months of intense competition. The journey to Bengaluru included 10 demanding online rounds contested by crossword enthusiasts from across India and abroad. From these, six solvers advanced to the on-stage finals after a rigorous two-grid preliminary round.
Alongside Krishnan, the finalists included Sohil Bhagat, Shashwat Salgaocar, Venkatraghavan S of Mumbai, Jose A of Thane, and Aashirvad Vishwanathan of Chennai.
The event also highlighted the growing international interest in Indian crossword competitions. Messages were read out from two top qualifiers based in the United States who were unable to attend in person. Matthew Marcus of Portland, who topped the online phase and was declared the IXL 2025 online winner, acknowledged India’s intellectual depth, noting its rising prominence in cryptic crosswords. Erik, a crossword editor and constructor from Kansas City and the online runner-up, described the shared struggle of solving tough grids as a “delightful agony”.
After the conclusion of the online rounds, the top 30 solvers on cumulative scores were invited to Bengaluru for the finale. Krishnan’s victory earned him the National Crossword Champion trophy once again; he has previously represented India at the World Crossword Championship in London, organised by Extra-C.
The finale was anchored by crossmaster Ochintya Sharma, with support from Kushagra, Venkatesh and Robin of Extra-C. Vivek Kumar Singh, chairman of RERA Bihar and chief mentor of IXL, traced the league’s journey from a national initiative to a globally recognised platform. He recalled that December 21 was declared World Crossword Day during the inaugural Crossword League in 2013, and announced that India’s first national cryptic crossword contest in Hindi would be held on September 14, 2026.
The event was attended by chief guests Ranjan Biswas, managing partner at EY, and Professor Debabrat Das, along with senior officials including Rakesh Singh, chairman of RERA Karnataka, IPS officer Umesh Kumar, IRSE officer Laxman Singh, and retired IPS officer Amar Pandey.
