Orleans Masters: Ayush And Tanvi Lead India's Challenege As Prannoy Pulls Out With Injury

Last Updated:March 16, 2026, 19:02 IST

Ayush Shetty and Tanvi Sharma will lead India at the USD 250,000 Orleans Masters Super 300 badminton tournament. HS Prannoy withdrew due to a shoulder injury.

Young talents Ayush Shetty and Tanvi Sharma will spearhead India’s campaign at the USD 250,000 Orleans Masters Super 300 badminton tournament starting on Tuesday, following senior player HS Prannoy’s withdrawal due to a shoulder injury.

Prannoy, initially set to compete against top seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei in the first round, had to pull out after experiencing shoulder pain during the Swiss Open in Basel last week.

Why HS Prannoy Withdrew?

Uncertain about the cause at first, Prannoy decided to withdraw from his match against Japan’s Koki Watanabe to avoid worsening the injury.

“The shoulder pain developed after travelling to the Swiss Open. We didn’t know the reason then, so I decided to withdraw and fly back," Prannoy was quoted as saying to PTI.

“After a scan it showed a slight tear. It is a minor thing and hopefully I should be okay soon," added the experienced player, aiming for a comeback at the Asian Championships scheduled from April 7 to 12 in Ningbo, China.

With Prannoy sidelined, the rest of the Indian team aims for a strong performance in the tournament.

Attention will be on eighth seed and world No. 25 Ayush Shetty, who won the US Open Super 300 last year, as he begins his campaign against Lee Chia Hao of Chinese Taipei.

Former world No. 1 and currently ranked 30th, Kidambi Srikanth, who reached the finals of the Malaysia Masters Super 500 and Syed Modi International Super 300 in 2025, will face Denmark’s Magnus Johannesen.

Tharun Mannepalli, fresh off a quarterfinal finish at last week’s Swiss Open, will compete against Chinese Taipei’s Wang Tzu Wei in his opening match.

World No. 42 Kiran George, who upset Singapore’s former world champion Loh Kean Yew at the Swiss Open, will face third seed Kenta Nishimoto of Japan.

In women’s singles, Tanvi Sharma, the silver medallist at last year’s BWF Junior World Championships, will challenge Thailand’s Supanida Katethong, while Malvika Bansod, returning from a significant injury, will face Sung Shuo Yun of Chinese Taipei.

Bansod recently recovered from a severe left knee injury that kept her out for approximately seven to nine months from 2025 to early 2026.

Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj will play against Japan’s Manami Suizu, while Anmol Kharb will compete against Turkey’s Neslihan Arin.

In women’s doubles, Devika Sihag and Isharani Baruah will play against a pair coming through the qualifiers.

Sihag clinched her maiden BWF World Tour title at the Thailand Masters Super 300 last month, while Baruah reached the quarterfinals at the same event.

The men’s doubles pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and M R Arjun, who partnered up last year, will face the Chinese Taipei duo of Lai Po Yu and Tsai Fu Cheng.

The Indian pair won the Al Ain Masters Super 100, Turkiye International Challenge, and Telangana India International Challenge titles in 2025.

In women’s doubles, Ashwini Bhat K and Shikha Gautam will compete against the fourth-seeded Japanese pair of Rui Hirokami and Sayaka Hobara.

In mixed doubles, the Indian challenge will feature the pairs of Rohan Kapoor and Gadde Ruthvika Shivani, and Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, who reached the quarterfinals of the 2025 BWF World Championships in Paris.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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