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3 min readMay 15, 2026 05:40 PM IST
With Indian badminton in the doldrums in this period and only an Australian Open Super 500 crown for Lakshya Sen, Satwik and Chirag could be said to have literally carried the sport. (Badminton Photo)
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have played semifinals or better, in 11 of the 22 tournaments they have featured in since start of 2025. That’s a 3/4 or runner-up finish in every second tournament they play. With Indian badminton in the doldrums in this period and only an Australian Open Super 500 crown for Lakshya Sen, besides finals for Kidambi Srikanth and Ayush Shetty at that level of competition, the doubles duo could be said to have literally carried the sport, even if no-titles are usually dubbed ‘mid’ results, given the legitimate high expectations.
At the Thailand Open Super 500 this week, Satwik-Chirag will however have a chance to end the title drought that’s lasted for exactly two years now. Their last title came at the same tournament in 2024. After defeating Takumi Nomura and Yuichi Shimogami of Japan, the top seeds next play third seeds Goh Sze Fei – Nur Izuddin in the semis, ranked No 9 in the semis.
A 7-2 head to head means little against the Malaysian pairing that’s in Top 10 currently.
Since their quarterfinal exit at Paris Olympics, the duo are said to have been down in the dumps – breaks due to injury chiefly responsible for them falling out of Top 20 even. But picking up the pieces of that Paris disappointment, and with a firm goal of staying fit, tightening their game, shoring up the service situation and dealing with the gaps in return of serve, the two have in fact still ticked the consistency box through an allegedly down-period.
The lack of titles is worrying – only because they used to win so often before that wretched 2024 start where the Chinese and Malaysians – namely Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang along with Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik exploited their serve receiving vulnerability with the wicked spinning serves.
Those demons have largely been put to rest. The Indians lost twice to the Malaysian Aaron-Soh after the Olympics, still staggered by Aaron’s mastery from front court. But they have defeated the former World Champions and nemesis, thrice in last 3 meetings.
They have traded wins against the Chinese, including that 26-24 last set loss at the recent Thomas Cup. But the truly important one at World Championships, where they earned their second medal – India’s only men’s shuttlers to medal twice, saw Satwik-Chirag defeat the Chinese with a commanding show in pre-quarters. The World’s bronze was quite the redemption, though they have properly realised after last week’s kerkuffle that nothing less than titles, will placate the critics. Maybe even titles won’t — and only Olympics will.
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It’s why Satwik-Chirag need to treat all Tour events as experience and intelligence gathered of the new pairings coming through. Given the Olympics might get contested on the 15-points unless Satwik’s recommendation of Majors sticking to 21 gets onboarded, this year is also about tweaking their games to that transition.
A bit of the aggression and confidence is back as they learn from various data points and take on specific pointers, from matches on the Tour.
Why they couldn’t cross quarters at Olympics is not a mystery – the technical issues were bleeding obvious. How they navigate the next phase, however will be determined by what consistency, titles, losses and learnings can teach them.
Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More
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