Indian pair of Puligilla and Sherif to feature in WRC Saudi Arabia

Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Nov 25 (PTI) Ace Indian driver Naveen Puligilla and his co-driver Musa Sherif are set to carry the country's flag onto the world stage as the World Rally Championship (WRC) makes its historic debut in Saudi Arabia.

The duo will compete in WRC3 class, in the final round of the championship here from November 25 to 29.

Hyderabad's Puligilla, one of India's promising rally talents, secured a podium finish at the Tanzania Rally, which also marked co-driver Sherif's 100th international outing.

Puligilla recently clinched victory in the 3T category at the Robusta Rally, a round of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) in Kodagu.

Sherif, from Kasargod, brings unmatched experience to the cockpit. With 343 rallies and 101 international events, the reigning Indian National co-driver champion enters his 17th rally of the 2025 season, including 14 international appearances in a chequered career of 33 years.

The WRC Saudi Rally 2025 will feature 17 special stages, covering 319km of competitive distance and 1,221km in total.

Earlier, Indian rally legends such as Gaurav Gill and Naren Kumar competed in the World Rally Championship, but with international co-drivers.

Puligilla and Sheriff, thus enter the record books as the first all-Indian rally pair to participate on the WRC together.

"It is a proud moment for us and for Indian rallying. Making the WRC debut as a fully Indian driver–co-driver team is a dream we have fulfilled and now we are determined to give our best and show that India deserves a strong place on the world rally map," said Puligilla "It will be a new and tough terrain and we are looking to improve our learning curve," added Sherif. PTI SSC AT AT AT