The 15-year-old sensation, a two-time world junior champion, scored 30 hits to top the podium in style at the Belmont Shooting Centre.

Bhanwala's score was seven targets more than the previous record, set by Australian David Chapman in Glasgow four years ago.

Sergei Evglevski of Australia took silver, two hits behind the Indian winner's total, while England's Sam Gowin beat Chapman with a score of 17 targets in a shoot-off for bronze. 

The triumph for Anish, who was allowed to postpone his exams to compete, delivered India's 16th gold medal at the Games, surpassing the 15 the country won at Glasgow 2014.

India has now won six titles in the sport at Gold Coast 2018, four more than nearest challengers Australia.

Anish's success came after Tejaswini Sawant maintained India's dominance of the shooting events here by winning the women's 50m rifle three positions gold medal.

Sawant, silver medallist in the rifle prone competition yesterday, shot a Commonwealth Games record score of 457.9 points.

The 37-year-old veteran, a double gold medallist at Melbourne 2006, led an Indian one-two as Anjum Moudgil clinched silver on 455.7.

Seonaid McIntosh of Scotland was the recipient of the bronze medal as she scored 444.6.

The victories for India came on a day where two of their compatriots, triple jumper Rakesh Babu and race walker Irfan Kolothum Thodi, were thrown out of the Games for a breach of the no-needle policy.

"I won gold in the air rifle competition (Melbourne 2006 individual and pairs), but this is my fourth Commonwealth Games gold, so it's very nice," said Sawant.

"I finished everything today so yes, there will definitely be celebrations."

The shooting programme at Gold Coast 2018 concludes with the women's trap final.

It could be the last event held in the sport at the Games for at least eight years as shooting has not been included on the programme for Birmingham 2022.

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