Satwik-Chirag Fight Back to Reach BWF World Championships Quarterfinals

India’s fifth-seeded men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2026 BWF World Championships in New Delhi after producing a determined comeback against Malaysia’s Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap. The Indian combination survived a closely contested pre-quarterfinal encounter, overcoming a slow start to register a three-game victory. Satwik and Chirag lost the opening game 21-23 but refused to allow the narrow setback to derail their campaign.

The Indians responded strongly in the second game, displaying greater control and composure during the crucial rallies. They managed to hold their nerve in the closing stages and levelled the contest with a 21-19 win, setting up a decisive third game.

With a place in the last eight at stake, the Indian pair maintained its intensity in the decider. Satwik and Chirag gradually established control and prevented their Malaysian opponents from building sustained momentum. They eventually closed out the deciding game 21-17 to complete the comeback and book their place in the quarterfinals.

The victory keeps India’s hopes alive in the men’s doubles competition at the home World Championships. Satwik and Chirag, who have established themselves among the leading pairs on the international circuit, will now face another major test in the quarterfinals.

Their next opponents will be China’s third-seeded combination of Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang. The Chinese pair represents a significant challenge, making the quarterfinal encounter an important test for the Indian duo as it looks to progress deeper into the tournament.

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand continued their impressive run in women’s doubles, reaching the quarterfinals after defeating Japan’s seventh-seeded pair Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi in straight games. However, India also suffered setbacks in other events. Former world champion PV Sindhu was eliminated from the tournament, while Ayush Shetty also failed to progress further. The mixed doubles pairing of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto was another Indian combination to exit the competition.