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Former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal was drafted to Monday Night RAW during the supplemental draft on May 1, 2023. Mahal moved from NXT to the red brand alongside Sanga and Veer Mahaan as part of the group Indus Sher.
Most recently, Mahal was an NXT Superstar, starting in January of this year. During his time on the white-and-gold brand in 2023, Mahal competed in five matches, winning once and losing four times.
Jinder challenged Bron Breakker for the NXT Championship in February but was defeated by the 25-year-old Steiner. Mahal also competed in the first-ever NXT Championship match, losing to the inaugural champion, Seth Rollins, in the summer of 2012.
What's next for The Modern Day Maharaja and the rest of Indus Sher as they move over to RAW for the foreseeable future? Without further ado, let's look at five directions for Jinder Mahal after the 2023 WWE Draft.
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#5. Jinder Mahal goes after the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
WWE is scheduled to crown a new World Heavyweight Champion at the 2023 Night of Champions premium live event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A tournament will be held to determine who holds the newly-christened Big Gold Belt. However, the participants of this tournament have yet to be announced. It wouldn't be surprising to see The Modern Day Maharaja take part in this upcoming tournament.
Mahal is already a former World Champion. He shockingly defeated Randy Orton for the WWE Championship in the main event of Backlash 2017. Jinder held onto SmackDown's top title for 170 days. During that time, he continued to defeat Orton in title matches. The Modern Day Maharaja would also beat "The King of Strong Style" Shinsuke Nakamura when he challenged for the championship.
Jinder is getting a fresh start on Monday nights with the 2023 WWE Draft. It wouldn't be surprising to see him in the world title picture once again. With his goons Veer and Sanga by his side, Mahal will be a tough challenge to overcome. The Modern Day Maharaja may even shock the world again and become the World Heavyweight Champion.
#4. Indus Sher goes after the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships
Jinder Mahal's henchmen Sanga and Veer Mahaan are both larger in size than the current Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. After the champions are done with The Bloodline at Backlash, they may have a couple of Indian behemoths to deal with on Monday nights.
Mahaan and Sanga worked as a team on the NXT brand, so it wouldn't be surprising to see them competing in the tag team division on the red brand following the 2023 WWE Draft. If they're able to demonstrate that they're a dominant force on the red brand, they may find themselves competing for the undisputed tag titles somewhere down the line.
#3. Jinder Mahal goes after the WWE Intercontinental Championship
Jinder Mahal has won titles like the 24/7 Championship, the United States Championship, and the WWE Title. However, the Intercontinental Championship has eluded him throughout his pro wrestling career. The Modern Day Maharaja has never won IC gold, but perhaps he can add that title to his resume following the 2023 WWE Draft.
Gunther is the current Intercontinental Champion, and he was also drafted to Monday Night RAW in the 2023 draft. Mahal and The Ring General are also both heels, which may pose a problem when booking both men in a program against one another.
Villains have occasionally been on opposing sides in the past on WWE programming, though they do typically fight babyfaces. Considering how both wrestlers have been booked on the roster in recent months, Gunther will be the predictable winner in a bout with Mahal.
Mahal may have to wait until after Gunther's reign is over if he wants to be a serious contender for the Intercontinental Championship. But if he does end up challenging Gunther for gold, the factions Imperium and Indus Sher may go to war.
#2. Indus Sher competes in squash matches
One way to make a wrestler or group of wrestlers look dominant would be to book them in squash matches that showcase their dominance. Veer and Sanga could destroy local competitors while Mahal watches by ringside. This would build Indus Sher as a dominant force in the tag team division.
Hopefully, for the sake of Mahal and his faction, Indus Sher isn't on the losing end of squash matches. But if their act doesn't get over with the writing team and the WWE Universe, that sadly might become the team's fate.
If the company wants to build Jinder Mahal as a serious threat in the singles division, they might give him a series of convincing wins over local and enhancement talent. Championship gold may be in the cards for Indus Sher and the group's leader, The Modern Day Maharaja. Quick and brutal squash matches could be a way for the team to get over with fans and become worthy of a title.
#1. Jinder Mahal gets a new comedy gimmick
If the company wants to go down the comedy route with Indus Sher, they could revive something similar to the Punjabi Playboy gimmick that was once used by The Great Khali.
Jinder Mahal has had no issue with playing a comedy gimmick in the past, being one-third of 3MB, a comedic jobber trio that also included Drew McIntyre and Heath Slater. What if Mahal switches to a lighthearted comedy act following the 2023 WWE Draft?
What if Jinder Mahal was revealed to be an international ladies' man? Instead of being referred to as The Punjabi Playboy, his nickname could be one that fits with the modernized digital age. Mahal could be portrayed as a womanizer who frequents the popular dating app Tinder.
If this turns out to be the case, "Tinder Jinder" would be a funny nickname for the former champion.
