Satwik-Chirag Back On Track: Indian Duo Roar Into First Final Of 2026 At Thailand Open

Last Updated:May 16, 2026, 13:32 IST

Satwik-Chirag reached their first final of 2026 at the Thailand Open, while teenager Shriyanshi Valishetty stormed into the Baoji China Masters final.

The “Brothers of Destruction" are back in a final.

Indian badminton’s top men’s doubles pair of Satwik and Chirag produced a trademark comeback to defeat Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin 19-21, 22-20, 21-16 in a pulsating semifinal in Bangkok on Saturday.

The gritty win, achieved in 82 exhausting minutes, marked their first final appearance of the 2026 season and their third Thailand Open final overall after title-winning runs in 2019 and 2024.

World No. 4 Satwik and Chirag looked under pressure after narrowly dropping the opening game, but responded with immense composure in the second. Trailing late in the game, the Indians saved crucial points before edging ahead 22-20 to force a decider.

Once momentum shifted, the Indian pair took complete control. Their relentless attack and sharp net play eventually wore down the world No. 9 Malaysian duo, with Chirag sealing the win after a fortunate net cord delayed match point by a split second.

The victory also improved Satwik-Chirag’s head-to-head dominance, giving them their eighth career win over the Malaysian pair.

The duo now await either Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin or China’s He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu in Sunday’s final.

The run comes shortly after the pair openly spoke about badminton’s lack of mainstream visibility in India despite the country’s international success, including the historic Thomas Cup triumph.

Shriyanshi’s Dream Run Continues

Meanwhile, teenage Indian shuttler Shriyanshi Valishetty kept her remarkable form going at the Baoji China Masters Super 100 event.

Fresh off winning the Mexico International Challenge last week, Shriyanshi defeated reigning Junior World Champion Xu Wen Jing of China 21-13, 21-17 to storm into the women’s singles final.

The Indian youngster has looked dominant throughout the tournament, dropping just one game en route to the summit clash.

Shriyanshi will now face either China’s Yuan or Thailand’s Nithiittikrai in the title clash.

(with PTI inputs)

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