If Indian badminton is going through a low phase, collectively in the absence of titles, the doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, 25, and Chirag Shetty, 28, is trying to break through the slump.
For the former world No.1 combination, currently ranked fourth, podium finishes (top 3 placings) have been common, but a title has remained elusive for two years. Most recently, they lost in the final of the Thailand Open that ended 17 May—the 2024 Thailand Open was their last title. In the final two weeks ago, Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin beat the Indian pair for the first time in four meetings, a match the Indians were expected to win, surprised to lose.
Just some days before that, India finished third in the Thomas Cup team event—in which Rankireddy-Shetty were India’s leading doubles pair. India had famously won the title as underdogs for the first time in 2022. A disappointing campaign followed in 2024. This year, again as underdogs but with the weighty tags of being former champions, the team scored a bronze medal.
“In 2022, no one expected us to go as far,” says Shetty. “This time, we were former champs and we had (mostly) the same team. No one expected us to go deep again. Our team was strong but on paper, others were stronger.”
The 2022 Thomas Cup win is a significant marker for Indian badminton, especially for Rankireddy-Shetty who were instrumental in the team’s success. Their next notable marker was the Paris 2024 Olympics, in which they lost in the quarter-finals. The period since has been testing, with injuries, personal losses and less than optimum results.
The loss in the Olympics in August, a few months after their Thailand Open title in 2024, was a major heartbreak for the medal prospects. In 2025, of the 16 tournaments they played, Rankireddy-Shetty made it to seven semi-finals and two finals, which are creditable results. But such is the expectation from the duo, legitimate contenders in every event they enter, that anything other than a top finish seems like an under-performance. This year, in five tournaments, they have made one final.
“I am in my mind grateful for what we got,” says Rankireddy. “Everyone wants us to win. Compared to 2022-23, it hasn’t been smooth. Every other month, something goes wrong. We have been on podiums, even in the worst situations, which is a good sign.”
When the Indian team returned from the Thomas Cup in Denmark earlier in May, disappointment at a lack of attention led to a social media post from Rankireddy—that Shetty shared—in which he said, “Back home now. As usual, no one knows what happened over the past two weeks, and it seems like no one really cares.”
The post got a lot of traction, which led him to put up another note a few days later, explaining that his lament was not to seek personal fame but “to foster a culture that encourages and celebrates every win”.
“I thought it’s about valuing the (bronze) medal—that deserves respect,” Rankireddy says over the phone. “After 2022, I thought things might have changed, but that wasn’t true. A bronze is not less. It’s not easy in badminton. I felt people around us didn’t know what happened.”
The posts at least led to some conversation, adds Shetty, which is good for the sport. “Sporting achievements unite people,” he says. “I feel we don’t value sporting achievement as much.”
If recent results are an indication—Rankireddy-Shetty won three of their four matches in the 2026 Thomas Cup—then the rest of the year holds some promise. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships is in Delhi this year, in August, which comes with home advantage. Sat-Chi, one of the convenient sobriquets they are known by, have two bronze medals in the competition, in 2022 and last year. The Asian Games in Japan in September-October is another marquee event followed by the annual Syed Modi India International in November that’s usually a good hunting ground for Indian players.
Neither player admits to being concerned by the absence of silverware in recent times. Shetty says that considering the tough times they have endured, to be consistently in the top 5 (of rankings) has meant that the standards they have set are high.
“Only we know what we have gone through. We want to win titles, but it’s not playing in our minds,” he says.
One of the major setbacks that they refer to was Rankireddy losing his father—also his first coach—last year. R. Kasi Viswanatham was “the X-factor” in Rankireddy’s career, a loss that the player has not yet come to terms with.
“I feel low. I know it’s a part of life. It’s not something that’s happened to me alone,” he says. “But it’s hard to focus on only playing, which I used to before—I would play, eat and sleep. Now, I have to check at home, be a bit more caring.
“I haven’t even had the time to let go and cry fully. It’s a big loss for me.”
Life experiences lead to learnings, which the players admit to in the period since 2022. As a combination, they have become smarter, tactically more astute, and consistent. But they have also lost something in that process, fearlessness, which happens with age and maturity.
“I never used to care about anyone,” says Rankireddy about the time when he and Shetty first started getting the results internationally. “I didn’t even know their (some opponents’) names. Chirag used to tell me: Do you know who we just beat? But this Satwik can read situations (better), is more mature,” he says of his personal growth.
He would like to play fearless again but with years of pursuing a punishing, physically demanding sport, he realises he needs to manage his body as well. “You can’t go all out all the time. When I was 19-20 (years old), I would hit thousands of smashes every day. Now, I know if I play so much I will be sore the next day,” he says, chuckling over the phone.
“I still want to get that 2022 attitude though. I am still looking for that Satwik.”
Arun Janardhan (@iArunJ) is a Mumbai-based journalist who covers sports, business leaders and lifestyle.