INTERVIEW | Targets, Trust & Tough Calls: Guru Sai Dutt On Coaching HS Prannoy & Kidambi Srikanth

Last Updated:January 15, 2026, 09:17 IST

Guru Sai Dutt shares insights on coaching Prannoy, Srikanth and young athletes, highlighting mentorship and team dynamics.

HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth (BAI Media)

A Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, Guru Sai Dutt transitioned into coaching soon after retiring from badminton in 2022.

Once mentored by the legendary Pullela Gopichand, Guru now finds himself seated alongside his guru, this time as a coach, guiding some of his own contemporaries, including HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth.

With both close friends registering convincing victories in the opening round of the India Open 2026, Guru cut a content figure as he looked ahead to the tournament. The 2008 World Junior Championships bronze medallist spoke to News18 Sports about coaching players across different age groups, managing their highs and lows and more.

Excerpts:

What is it like coaching your contemporaries? How does that dynamic work, and what is your role? Is it more hands-on coaching or a more traditional mentorship?

It has been about three and a half to four years now working with this group, including the younger players, and it has gone really well. I have worked with Prannoy since I began coaching, and I am grateful for the trust the players placed in me, both for who I was as a player and for the support I received from my mentor, Gopi sir, who believed I could handle this role.

That backing was crucial in the early days. Over the past three years, I have travelled with the team and sat courtside for many matches with players like Prannoy, Srikanth, Priyanshu (Rajawat), Tharun (Mannepalli) and multiple younger athletes. Spending so much time together helped build strong bonds, and they started to understand the values and perspective I brought to the table.

Looking back, my confidence has only grown from day one to now. To answer your question, my role is that of a coach. Mentorship is something Gopi sir provides for all of us, though there have been moments during matches when I have had to step into a mentoring role as well.

These are senior players and contemporaries, and there were times when I had to be firm with them. They were mature enough to understand why, and the results helped reinforce those decisions, making it easier for them to respond and get out of tough situations.

When you are coaching players like Prannoy or Srikanth, who are in the latter stages of their careers, there are phases with injuries or periods when they aren’t qualifying for the top-tier tournaments like the Super 1000s or 750s. As a contemporary and also a friend, how do you manage and support them during those moments?

It is important to first acknowledge what they have already achieved. Everything they have done until now has been exceptional for the nation, both individually and as part of the team. I have been very open with them about that. From here on, whatever they choose to play, they have our complete support, whether it is from me, Gopi sir, (Parupalli) Kashyap, or the rest of the coaching staff.

They will get everything they need, so they don’t have to worry about what comes next. They are true gems of our country and our setup, and we respect them. That said, they have both played at the highest level, and players of that stature need clear targets.

They cannot just be satisfied with first- or second-round exits. Of course, as a player, you sometimes have to go through those phases, but having a goal is crucial. That is why I spoke to them about focusing on the Asian Games. For both Prannoy and Srikanth, that is the next big milestone, and they are important to that campaign. We agreed on this; the players, Kashyap and I as coaches and then conveyed it to Gopi sir.

That is how the plan came together.

Personally, when did you decide you were ready to move into coaching and transition from being a player into that role?

I had a long career as a player, but I also lost a few crucial years along the way. A major ankle injury set me back, and then COVID-19 made the comeback even tougher. There were far more hard days than good ones, and I reached a point where I could not give my best in training, let alone in matches.

There were tournaments where I had to pull out in the quarterfinals because my ankle could not cope; by the third or fourth day, it would give up. That is when I realised I was no longer able to give the sport what it had given me throughout my career, and that was a turning point.

The very next day, I had a long conversation with my parents and with Gopi sir. After those discussions, I made the decision to step away from playing. There was not much overthinking about what came next or how I would coach. Gopi sir showed me a path and permitted me to begin at his academy.

I stopped playing one day and started working the next. I was fortunate to get that opportunity, and from there, things fell into place. I have been working every day since then, day in and day out and over time, people started to recognise my efforts and the role I was growing into.

As you mentioned, you are coaching both senior players and younger athletes like Priyanshu and Tharun. Beyond the physical aspect, what would you say is the biggest difference between coaching these two groups?

It is different how you handle the two groups. With senior players, you don’t have to worry too much about what they are thinking; they have immense exposure and experience at the highest level. They already understand the demands of the game and the situations they are in.

With the younger players, those around 19 or 20, my approach changes. I try to put myself back in their shoes and think about what I could have done better at that age. That is where my role comes in: to guide them using my own experiences and help them avoid some of the mistakes I made.

Even though I might be working on one court with senior players and another with juniors, switching between the two mindsets comes naturally now. It is part of the job. I go back to the phase I was in at that age and reflect on what I was thinking then, and that helps me connect better with the younger players.

When someone like Srikanth faces Tharun, do you give them separate pre-match messages, or do you let them go out there and play their own game?

Nothing at all. They are free to compete against each other, and we don’t create an environment where we speak to one player or both. We let it be. On such days, it is an off day for us as coaches, and I step back from my role and watch from the stands like a spectator.

They handle their own warm-ups, and if they need anything, they know they can reach out to someone. Everything carries on as usual, which is how it works in most nations, and that is the approach we follow. It is a healthy system, and it works well.

News sports badminton INTERVIEW | Targets, Trust & Tough Calls: Guru Sai Dutt On Coaching HS Prannoy & Kidambi Srikanth

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