Indonesia Open: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty Lead India's Charge

Last Updated:June 03, 2025, 08:19 IST

Men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lead India's challenege at the Indonesia Open, aiming to reclaim their title

India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (PTI)

Former champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty aim to maintain their comeback momentum as they lead India’s challenge at the USD 1,450,000 Indonesia Open Super 1000 badminton tournament, starting Tuesday. The former world No. 1 pair returned to action after regaining fitness with a commendable semi-final finish at the Singapore Open last week. They now hope to go the distance and reclaim the trophy they won in 2023.

Currently ranked 27th, Satwik and Chirag are expected to edge closer to the top 20 following their performance in Singapore. They will begin their campaign against the Indonesian duo of Leo Rolly Carnando and Bagas Maulana at the Istora Senayan arena, the spiritual home of badminton. The conditions at Istora favour the Indians, and a win could set up a potential clash with their nemesis, Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, who ended their run last week and have a dominant record against the Indian pair.

The duo had missed several weeks of action due to Satwik’s health issues and Chirag’s lingering back injury. However, the star pair displayed their trademark brilliance last week, outclassing the world No. 1 Malaysian duo of Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin with a tactical masterclass on their way to the semi-finals.

Two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu also aims for a deep run following a series of underwhelming performances this year. The 29-year-old suffered a hamstring injury during training in Guwahati in February, ruling her out of the Asia Team Championships. Since her return, she has lost matches to players such as Thuy Linh Nguyen, Putri Kusuma Wardani, and Kim Ga Eun, leading to early exits from tournaments.

Last week, the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion showed glimpses of her former self before narrowly losing to Tokyo Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei of China in the second round. With new Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama in her corner, Sindhu will hope to rediscover her rhythm when she faces a familiar foe in former world champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan. The duo has shared several nail-biting encounters over the years, with a close head-to-head record reflecting their fierce rivalry. Tuesday’s match promises to be another gripping contest as both players attempt to reclaim their stature in world badminton. A win could pit Sindhu, the 2019 World Champion, against Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong in the second round.

In other women’s singles matches, Anupama Upadhyaya will face Korea’s Kim Ga Eun, Rakshitha Sree Ramraj will play Thailand’s left-hander Supanida Katethong, and Malvika Bansod will meet Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani.

In the men’s singles, H S Prannoy, a 2023 World Championships bronze medallist, will look to regain form against Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan. Lakshya Sen, the 2021 World Championships bronze medallist, is recovering from a back injury that forced him to withdraw from the Malaysia tournament last week. The shuttler from Almora has struggled to hit peak form since his semi-final finish at the Paris Olympics and faces a tough opener against world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi of China. His PPBA academy-mate Kiran George will test himself against the elite as he begins his campaign against former world champion Loh Kean Yew.

In the women’s doubles, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand – who is also making a slow return from injury – will face Japan’s Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto.

India will also be represented by four pairs in mixed doubles: Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Gadde Shivani, Sathish Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath, and Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh.

(With inputs from PTI)

Ritayan Basu

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket, having cov...Read More

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket, having cov...

Read More

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Location :

Jakarta, Indonesia

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News sports Indonesia Open: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty Lead India's Charge