India’s campaign in the singles events at the Badminton World Championships 2026 came to an end on Thursday after PV Sindhu and Ayush Shetty suffered Round of 16 defeats. However, India’s hopes of winning a medal remain alive, with the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty producing a spirited comeback to book their place in the quarterfinals.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu was eliminated after a closely fought three-game match against China’s Wang Zhi Yi. Sindhu lost the opening game 21-11 but bounced back with an impressive 21-15 win in the second. The decider remained evenly contested before Wang pulled away in the closing stages to claim a 21-17 victory, ending Sindhu’s bid for another World Championships medal.
The defeat marked another disappointing result for Sindhu, who has enjoyed remarkable success at the World Championships over the years, winning five medals, including a historic gold in 2019. Despite showing flashes of her best form during the tournament, the experienced Indian star was unable to overcome the higher-ranked Chinese opponent.
In the men’s singles, rising Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty also bowed out after a straight-games defeat to Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan. Ayush had entered the match with confidence after producing one of the tournament’s biggest upsets by defeating defending champion and world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi in the previous round. However, Farhan controlled the match with aggressive play and consistent attacking shots to end the young Indian’s impressive campaign.
India’s biggest success of the day came in the men’s doubles, where fifth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty fought back from a game down to defeat Malaysia’s Junaidi Arif and Yap Roy King 21-23, 21-19, 21-17. The Indian duo showed great composure under pressure, winning the final two games with powerful smashes and disciplined defence to secure a place in the last eight.
The quarterfinal appearance is another major achievement for Satwik and Chirag, who are already among India’s most successful badminton doubles teams. Having previously won World Championships bronze medals and several BWF World Tour titles, the pair will now look to move one step closer to their first world title.
India also had reason to celebrate in the women’s doubles event, where Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand advanced to the quarterfinals after a convincing straight-games victory. Their strong performance has further boosted India’s medal prospects at the championships.
With Sindhu and Ayush exiting the tournament, India’s singles challenge has officially ended. The country’s hopes now rest on its doubles players, who have shown excellent form throughout the competition. Fans will be looking to Satwik-Chirag and Treesa-Gayatri to continue their impressive performances and bring home medals from one of badminton’s most prestigious tournaments.