KBC 18: 26-year-old SC lawyer quits at Rs 25 lakh question on Vasco da Gama’s India voyage

He used his first lifeline, Sanket Soochak, on the ninth question, worth Rs 3 lakh, and answered correctly. For the Rs 5 lakh question, he turned to the Audience Poll and successfully crossed the milestone.

Check this space tomorrow to learn more about the toughest question on the latest episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 18. We will be bringing you the question and the story behind it.

Shikhar answers nine questions in Super Sandook

Shikhar then entered the Super Sandook round, where contestants get 90 seconds to answer 10 questions. Those who answer more than five correctly can either take the money earned or choose the 50:50 lifeline.

Shikhar answered nine questions correctly, earning Rs 90,000. Instead of taking the money, he chose the 50:50 lifeline, giving himself an additional option for the questions ahead.

Shikhar Aggarwal reaches Rs 12.5 lakh

The 11th question was worth Rs 7.5 lakh and Shikhar decided to use his MahaFlip lifeline. He replaced the question and successfully answered the new one, which was related to the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Interestingly, the question had a connection to Shikhar’s preparation for KBC 18. He revealed that while preparing for the show, a friend had sent him a video about the Commonwealth Games and specifically asked him to learn about it. The information eventually came in handy when he encountered the question on the show.

Shikhar then faced the Rs 12.5 lakh question. With the 50:50 lifeline still available, he used it and answered correctly, taking his winnings to Rs 12.5 lakh.

Shikhar continued to the 13th question, which was worth Rs 25 lakh. By this stage, however, he had no lifelines left and was unsure about the answer.

The question was: Which flagship did Vasco da Gama captain on his first voyage to India, when his fleet reached Calicut?

The options were:

A. Sao Rafael
B. Sao Martinho
C. Sao Jose
D. Sao Gabriel

The correct answer was D. Sao Gabriel.

With Rs 12.5 lakh already secured and no lifeline left to fall back on, Shikhar decided not to risk his winnings and quit the game, taking home Rs 12.5 lakh.

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The ship Vasco da Gama captained on his India voyage

Vasco da Gama set sail from Lisbon in July 1497 with a fleet of four vessels. The Sao Gabriel, commanded by da Gama himself, was the largest and flagship vessel of the expedition. The fleet also included the Sao Rafael, commanded by his brother Paulo da Gama, along with the Berrio and a fourth ship used to carry supplies.

The expedition followed a route around the Cape of Good Hope and across the Indian Ocean before reaching the Malabar Coast. Vasco da Gama and his fleet arrived at Calicut (present-day Kozhikode) in May 1498, marking the first successful sea voyage from Europe to India around the southern tip of Africa.

The voyage became a landmark in the history of European maritime exploration and opened a direct sea route between Europe and the Indian subcontinent.