Satwik-Chirag Bag Silver After Thailand Open Run Ends In Heartbreaking Defeat

Last Updated:May 17, 2026, 13:10 IST

Satwik-Chirag finished runners-up at the Thailand Open after a straight-games loss to Indonesia’s Carnando and Marthin in their first final of 2026.

So close, yet so far for India’s star men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.

The former world No. 1 duo had to settle for Silver after falling to Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin in the men’s doubles final of the BWF Thailand Open Super 500 on Sunday.

Satwik-Chirag, champions in Bangkok in 2019 and 2024, went down in two straight games of 21-12, 24-23 as the Indonesian pair produced a composed display to clinch the title and register their first-ever win over the Indians.

How It Unfolded

The opening game was largely one-way traffic.

Carnando and Marthin controlled the tempo from the outset, forcing errors out of the Indian duo, who struggled to string together momentum. Satwik-Chirag looked unusually rushed, conceding far too many easy points as the Indonesians cruised through the first game 21-12.

The second game, however, finally brought the fight everyone expected.

The Indian pair came out sharper and more aggressive, opening up a slender three-point lead before the mid-game interval. But just as they appeared ready to force a decider, the Indonesians clawed their way back, levelling things at 12-12 and setting up a tense finish.

From there, the momentum swung wildly.

Satwik and Chirag pushed the contest deep into a gripping endgame, eventually dragging the Indonesians into a dramatic tiebreak — which went all the way to 23-23 — where the Indians denied their rivals one championship point after another to keep themselves in the fight.

But when it mattered most, Carnando and Marthin held their nerve, sealing the final two points to wrap up the win.

Satwik-Chirag’s Year So Far

Despite the defeat, the tournament marked an encouraging return for the Indian pair, who were appearing in their first final of the 2026 season.

Their campaign earlier this year had been disrupted by Rankireddy’s recurring shoulder injury, which forced the Asian Games champions to withdraw from several major tournaments, including the Asia Championships and the Swiss Open.

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

News sports badminton Satwik-Chirag Bag Silver After Thailand Open Run Ends In Heartbreaking Defeat

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