Badminton Worlds: We can beat any pair on our day, says Satwik

Satwik and Chirag will look to get back into rhythm as they drive India’s campaign at the World Championships

New Delhi: There was a time in global badminton when watching high-adrenaline, nerve-jangling men’s doubles contests made you wonder if an Indian pair could ever combine such pace, energy and skill in their game. Then came Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty and they shook the world order with their explosive style.

Chirag Shetty (R) and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy will lead India’s hopes at the World Championships. (AFP)

Some of the biggest moments in Indian badminton in recent years have come through this sensational combination. A historic Thomas Cup triumph, Asian Games and Asian Championships gold medals in men’s doubles along with two World Championships bronze medals, Satwik and Chirag have been relentless in their pursuit to staying among the best.

They are set for another big challenge as they drive India’s campaign at the BWF World Championships, which begin at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here on Monday.

This season, they have endured jubilation, frustration and a sense of nervousness coming into the Worlds at home. The doubles duo ended a two-year wait for a BWF World Tour title with a scintillating victory at the Singapore Open in May. Unfortunately, at the Indonesia Open the following week, Satwik’s shoulder injury recurred, forcing them to withdraw from the opening round.

It is in this backdrop that the world No.5 pair, one of the best attacking combinations in the world, enters the World Championships carrying the expectations of home fans. They would be anxious as they await their second-round opponents having received a first round bye.

“We are very excited. It’s a different feeling to be playing the World Championships at home in front of your fans. We took a long break, but we are not focusing too much ahead. We just want to take one match at a time,” Satwik told HT.

Satwik would be hoping that his shoulder holds well so that he can start cracking those smashes and for them to quickly get back into their best.

“I had time with the rehab. But tournaments and practice are much different. So, we have to see how it goes in the tournament. Because in practice, you don’t have so much pressure. In the tournament, you need to see how it goes.”

The Singapore Open title was a high point and they felt they could have carried the momentum forward but for the injury.

“Winning a major title after a gap we got the confidence back. We played some disciplined game and stuck to the game plan throughout, be it against the Koreans or the Indonesians. Even though we lost the first game (in the final), we came back to win the second and third. So, I felt like even though we weren’t 100% there yet, still we won the tournament beating all the world’s top pairs.”

Beating defending world champions Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae of Korea in the semi-final and the formidable Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri of Malaysia in the final would have given them self-belief. The Korean pair is top seeded, and the Malaysians are the second seeds. This year, the Indians also helped the team secure a bronze in the Thomas Cup.

“That’s a good motivation for us. We know all the time that if we are fit enough to play, we can beat anyone on the given day. So, our main focus is to get back on track, get that momentum and keep going. So, we play a little bit freer. It’s challenging for us, but I think we are well prepared for that challenge.

“I felt in the Indonesia Open, if we would have been in good shape, we would have played one more final. We had the confidence, the body language and the attitude, but a few things are not in our hands.”

For Satwik, 26, given his power game, shoulder issues crop up while playing back-to-back tournaments. But, guided by their coach, the duo has been managing the workload well.

“Sometimes when I’m playing two tournaments in a row... I think it’s difficult for my shoulder to play four tournaments back-to-back in less than one-and-a-half months. So, somewhere we need to manage that,” he says.

It could be frustrating for Chirag, but they have developed a strong bond to see through these tough challenges and stay positive.

“I think you get used to it. Yes, it’s difficult, but you understand and we try to do everything possible to get back as early as possible,” Chirag, 29, told HT.

“If you want to see those good days, standing on the podium, winning titles, then you have to be ready to take these days where you will be out of the sport because of injuries. We try to push through those bad days because eventually the good days will come.”

Since coming together as a pair and winning their first big tour title in 2018, they have improved a lot in every aspect, even as the game itself has seen changes.

“The game has become a lot faster,” says Chirag. “Back then too it was fast, but maybe a lot of it depended on defence as well. Nowadays, you see very few pairs doing defence comparatively. It’s become a lot quicker, flat exchanges.

“We’ve only grown stronger over the time we’ve paired up. There have been plenty of bad days as well but we have always been there for each other.”