India, July 22 -- The Commonwealth Games offer Indian athletes a distinctly different competitive arena compared to the Olympics or Asian Games. With global heavyweights like China, Japan, Russia, and the United States not involved in the fray, the Games thin out the talent pool and redistribute the medal probabilities, removing top-tier Olympic champions and opening direct pathways to the podium for new names. India has long frequented the Commonwealth podium, especially in athletics, combat sports and field events. Here are the top hopefuls for a podium finish and a medal at the 2026 Glasgow Games.

Mirabai Chanu anchors India's weightlifting squad as the country's most dependable gold medal prospect. Competing in the women's 48kg divis...