Indian badminton stars PV Sindhu and the formidable men’s doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty began the 2026 season on a high note at the Malaysia Open Super 1000, showcasing resilience, skill, and determination after a series of setbacks.
Returning from a prolonged injury layoff, 30-year-old former world champion PV Sindhu defeated Chinese Taipei’s Sung Shuo Yun 21-14, 22-20 in a 51-minute first-round contest, signaling that she is back in competitive form. Ranked 18th in the world, Sindhu has now taken her head-to-head record against Sung to 2-0 and is set to face World No. 9 Tomoka Miyazaki of Japan in the round of 16. Notably, Sindhu holds a 1-1 record against Miyazaki, having defeated her last year at the 2025 China Masters.
“The first match is always about finding rhythm,” Sindhu said after the victory, highlighting her cautious yet confident approach following her recovery from a foot injury that had sidelined her for several months.
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In the men’s doubles category, the Asian Games champions Satwik and Chirag, former World No.1s, displayed their trademark power and precision to defeat Chinese Taipei’s Yang Po-Hsuan and Lee Jhe-Hue 21-13, 21-15 in just 35 minutes. The Indian pair, who had reached the semifinals of the BWF World Tour Finals in December, will now take on Malaysia’s Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap in the pre-quarterfinals.
However, the mixed doubles campaign ended on a disappointing note for India. World No. 17 Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of the lower-ranked American pair Presley Smith and Jennie Gai, losing 15-21, 21-18, 15-21 in a 56-minute battle. Similarly, women’s doubles pairs Treesa Jolly–Gayatri Gopichand and the Panda sisters Rutuparna–Swetaparna were eliminated after hard-fought matches against top-seeded opponents from Indonesia and Malaysia.
Looking ahead, Indian shuttlers face a challenging draw at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open Super 750 later this month. Former world champion PV Sindhu will face Vietnam’s Thuy Linh Nguyen in the first round, against whom she has recently lost twice. Meanwhile, 2022 champion Lakshya Sen opens his campaign in an all-Indian clash against rising star Ayush Shetty. The prestigious tournament will be held from January 13 to 18 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, promising more thrilling action for Indian badminton fans.
With Sindhu, Satwik, and Chirag demonstrating their readiness for the new season, Indian badminton enthusiasts have reason to be optimistic as the year’s first major events unfold.
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