He won a silver medal at the 2019 World Wrestling Championships in the freestyle 86 kg category, where Hassan Yazdani of Iran, a wrestler that Punia idolises, won the final by walkover.

[3] Punia's silver medal secured him a place in the 2020 Summer Olympics.

He faced Yazdani again in the 86 kg final of 2022 Asian Games, but lost 10-0 in a one-sided match.

He bagged a gold medal at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games after beating Pakistan's Muhammad Inam by a score of 3-0 in the 86 kg final bout.

This biographical article relating to an Indian sport wrestler or wrestling coach is a stub.