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4 min readApr 8, 2026 10:20 AM IST
File image of Ayush Shetty in action. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)
After Lakshya Sen decimated the Chinese men’s singles at All England, Ayush Shetty kept the powerhouse under the pump, with a stunningly poised and powerful win over Li Shifeng in the first round of the Badminton Asian Championship.
The Indian attack quite simply overran the most attacking of China’s shuttlers, as the World No 25 Indian defanged World No 7 Shifeng, playing crisp, crackling badminton. It took 55 minutes, mostly to overhaul early set leads (7.5. 8-5) from Shifeng. The Chinese, just 26 is already from a generation that is being challenged and pushed out by the new bunch of post-teens.
The longest rally perhaps came when Shifeng desperately tried, when trailing 13-19 in the first set to construct a maze to tire out Ayush. But the Indian stayed solid, did the due retrieving and finished with a smash, which are mic-drops in the sense that Shifeng rarely got near them.
Guided by Irwansyah, a perfect fit for Ayush as coach, given his classical power stroke-making, the 6’4″ Indian showed composure to work on Shifeng’s game – tease out strands of possible openings, locate the precise incisions on court to land his kills just like Indonesians like Jojo Christie. A bulk of points came from Ayush’s dependable net interceptions. This one point, he tapped it down, seconds after the shuttle crossed the net and smiled wide, to show his mirth at a job well done.
But more than anything, Ayush neatly dispatched all vague, errant lifts and even flick serves to Shifeng’s forehand flank, with smashes that travelled like cannonballs – deep. There’s a million things Ayush could improve on in his defense and movement on court and shot selection, but the smash, even a round the head or the conventional one struck at highest point, is a finished product, ready to dismantle world hierarchies.
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It travels at speed, stays within bounds with stinging urgency and lands on the backcourt. A sniper from a vantage. At 9-12, Ayush sent one into the net and he could save tiny energy not grimacing and hopping around. But the very next point, he nailed one to Shifeng’s backhand and was soon level on 12-12 riding momentum, like a blazing comet’s tail. The beauty of the Ayush smash is it doesn’t need to engage with the lines – even against a tall retriever like Shifeng who couldn’t react quick enough to the Indian’s smashes.
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In fact, Ayush had trailed mostly for the first half of the second set, but made his way back with crisp shot making and taking the attack to the Chinese. Every Ayush kill was greeted by silence rent with disappointment from the Chinese crowd at Ningbo.
The 21-13, 21-16 victory came from a similar smash – though this time Shifeng who had been pumping his fists start of the set, didn’t even move and returned leaden-footed as a capacity crowd was silenced.
It was supposed to be a battle of big booming attacks, the biggest of Chinese vs biggest of the Indian’s, and the Indian was miles ahead, despite operating only at 70 percent of his all-round attack potential.
Irwansyah’s influence was evident in how Ayush did not prolong the rallies or get lured into needless midcourt exchanges. He can still get sharper and more controlled in defense, but the attack is flowing. He also takes those breathes needed to reorient the nervous energy after a point lost.
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Coach Vimal Kumar lauded the performance. “What a performance by Ayush Shetty today in Ningbo, China at the Asian Championships. He absolutely blew away Li Shi Feng in straight games with fearless, attacking badminton. The power, the precision, and those thunderous smashes — the Chinese had no answers, completely unable to read or react. A truly dominant display… one to watch for the future,” he said.
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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