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Who will deliver for India at the World Championships? Medal prospects of Sindhu, Lakshya and Satwik-Chirag decoded
India is hosting the World Championships for the first time in 17 years, with the event to be held at the IGI Stadium from August 17 to 23.
India will field 14 shuttlers across the five events when the BWF World Championships begin at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium next week, hoping to continue a medal-winning streak that stretches back to 2011.
Since the tournament's inception, India have won 15 medals at the prestigious event—10 bronze, four silver and one gold. PV Sindhu remains the country's only world champion, having lifted the title in 2019. She is also India's most decorated player at the Championships with five medals—one gold, two silver and two bronze—a record she shares with two-time Olympic champion Zhang Ning of China.
India have reached the podium in every edition since 2011, with the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty winning bronze in 2025. Backed by home support, the Indian contingent will be looking to extend that remarkable run.
India's squad features 14 players, including two entries each in men's singles, men's doubles, women's singles and mixed doubles, along with one women's doubles pair. Sindhu, fresh from her Japan Open title last month, leads India's challenge alongside Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen in men's singles and the fifth-seeded Satwik-Chirag pairing.
Here's a look at India's medal prospects.
PV Sindhu
Sindhu begins her quest for a record sixth World Championships medal with a favourable first-round match against Ireland's world No. 141 Sophia Noble.
The draw has, however, thrown up a difficult route. Although she has avoided world No. 1 An Se Young of South Korea and defending champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan until the latter stages, Sindhu is projected to meet third seed Wang Zhi Yi of China in the pre-quarterfinals before a likely last-eight clash against Indonesia's sixth seed Putri Wardani.
It is a familiar route. Last year, Sindhu defeated Wang before losing to Wardani in the quarter-finals. Having beaten the Indonesian at the Singapore Open earlier this year, Sindhu will believe she has the game to reach the semi-finals—and with it, at least a bronze medal.
Lakshya Sen
Lakshya, the 2021 World Championships bronze medallist, has received a comparatively favourable draw.
He opens against Austria's Collins Valentine Filimon and is projected to face second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the pre-quarterfinals.
Kunlavut represents the first major hurdle. The Thai defeated Lakshya at the 2023 World Championships, but the Indian won their most recent meeting at the Thailand Open in May.
Should Lakshya progress, a potential semi-final against Singapore's Loh Kean Yew or Hong Kong's Victor Lai awaits. Lai has beaten Lakshya twice in three meetings this year, making the latter stages considerably tougher.
If Lakshya can negotiate Kunlavut, he has every chance of fighting for another World Championships medal.
Ayush Shetty
Ayush faces the toughest opening-round assignment among the Indian singles players as he takes on defending champion Shi Yu Qi of China.
The Chinese star has beaten Ayush three times in the past nine months, including in this year's Asian Championships final.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty
The fifth seeds receive a first-round bye and will begin against either Scotland's Alexander Dunn and Adam Pringle or Thailand's Chaloempon Charoenkitamorn and Worrapol Thongsa-Nga.
Their first significant test is expected in the pre-quarterfinals against Indonesia's 12th-seeded pair Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin, runners-up at the Indonesia Open in June.
A quarter-final against China's Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang could follow before a possible semi-final against Indonesia's second seeds Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri.
Importantly, Satwik and Chirag avoid defending champions Seo Seung Jae and Kim Won Ho until a potential final.
With the draw opening up favourably, India will expect the pair to challenge for a second successive World Championships medal.
The other Indians
Unnati Hooda opens her women's singles campaign against Myanmar's Thet Htar Thuzar and could face Canada's 13th seed Michelle Li in the second round.
In mixed doubles, 15th seeds Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto receive a first-round bye and are projected to meet China's sixth-seeded pair Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui in the pre-quarterfinals. Rohan Kapoor and G Ruthvika Shivani begin against Canada's Jonathan Lai and Crystal Lai.
In women's doubles, Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand face Spain's Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez in the opening round, while Simran Singhi and Kavipriya Selvam take on another Spanish pair, Nikol Carulla and Carmen Jimenez.
India's second men's doubles pair, MR Arjun and H Amsakarunan, begin their campaign against Ireland's Scott Guildea and Paul Reynolds.
