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"The Modern Day Maharaja" saw off the challenge of Shinsuke Nakamura at Hell in a Cell to further prolong a WWE Title run that many thought would be little more than transitional when it began.
But as each pay-per-view passes by, the title shows no discernible signs of being displaced from around Mahal's waist.
After Randy Orton had a couple of bites at the cherry, it was Shinsuke Nakamura's turn to bite the dust.
So what next for Jinder Mahal?
With the WWE touring India in December and Jinder Mahal the focus of their marketing thrust, is there even a chance that he could hold on to the WWE Championship until then?
Well, not if any of these Superstars have something to say about it.
On that note, here are five possible challengers who can challenge Jinder Mahal for his WWE Championship after Hell in a Cell.
#5 Triple H
While Triple H has predominantly been preoccupied behind the scenes, he does show up every year to work a match at WrestleMania and put over young talent.
And usually, he plays the heel while putting over a babyface.
This time, it would be a refreshing change to the status quo if a babyface Triple H works a program with Jinder Mahal.
Mahal could receive a huge rub of legitimacy by working with him and make that top heel spot on SmackDown Live his own for the years to come.
It would also be a nice change to see Triple H in a non-Authority, babyface role on SmackDown Live, instead of on Raw.
#4 Shinsuke Nakamura
Although he's failed twice to win the WWE Championship from Jinder Mahal, we can't entirely rule out the possibility of Nakamura challenging for the Title a third time.
SmackDown Live desperately needs top babyfaces (and heels, to be honest) and Nakamura -- if booked right -- can certainly be one of the major players on the Blue brand.
From what we hear, he's on main event level money so unless the WWE plans to let him go or terminate his contract, I don't see how he isn't in and around the main event scene.
Perhaps giving him another shot right away would be overkill, especially considering that he didn't have the hottest feud with Mahal, but I certainly wouldn't be averse to him getting another opportunity in the near future.
#3 Kevin Owens
Despite not holding or challenging for either the US Championship or the WWE Championship, the fact that Kevin Owens headlined Hell in a Cell tells us everything we need to know about how much the WWE values him.
Owens is one of those special wrestlers that is phenomenal in the ring and even better on the microphone. He is the complete package.
And as we've found out the hard way in the years since the Attitude Era, performers like that don't come by very often.
Booking Kevin Owens against Jinder Mahal, then, would only elevate the WWE Championship right now; something neither Randy Orton nor Shinsuke Nakamura have been able to do.
Plus, Sami Zayn in his corner to neutralise the Singh brothers would add a nice wrinkle to proceedings as well.
#2 AJ Styles
It is rumoured that Vince McMahon thought that the roof-raising reaction afforded to AJ Styles when he debuted in Royal Rumble last year was a fluke.
We're pretty sure that notion would have been dispelled by now.
After being a part of a number of riveting feuds and title runs, AJ Styles has proven beyond a doubt that he is money.
And since he's passed on the US Championship to Baron Corbin now, he finds himself free to bear the onus of main event responsibility again by challenging for the WWE Championship.
If nothing else than to produce great matches with Jinder Mahal -- something even the likes of Orton and Nakamura haven't managed to do -- then at least to win the WWE Championship so he can defend it against Nakamura at WrestleMania.
#1 John Cena
Were you expecting anyone else?
John Cena seemed done for the time being after losing to Roman Reigns but don't forget, he's tied on 16 title reigns with Ric Flair.
And given that he has a couple of more years in the WWE -- part-time though it may be -- odds are that he's likely going to break that record.
Also, should the WWE need a leg-up in ratings for SmackDown Live, they know that all they need to do is to put the WWE Championship on John Cena one more time.
Should the Jinder experiment continue to yield mediocre results... I'd never thought I'll say it... but Super Cena may be exactly who we need.
