India suffer blow as Satwik-Chirag miss Sudirman Cup finals

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (Pic: AFP)

India's popular men's doubles badminton duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will be missing out on the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Sudirman Cup Finals 2025 due to illness, announced the Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Monday.

BAI Media took to their official X handle to announce the star duo's omission from the competition. No replacements will be added to the Indian squad.

"Men's Doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty have withdrawn from the BWF Sudirman Cup Finals 2025 due to illness. No replacements will be added to the squad,"said a X post from BAI Media.

This year, 'Sat-Chi' have made it to the quarterfinals of the Badminton Asia Championships, semifinals of the India Open and semifinals of the Malaysia Open.

BWF Sudirman Cup Finals 2025 will be played in Xiamen, China, from April 27-May 4.

India qualified for the prestigious mixed team championships based on their world ranking. It will be eyeing to first seal their knock-out berth from a tough Group D line-up that also includes former champions Indonesia, two-time runners-up Denmark, and the formidable England.

Team morale is high following a strong showing at the recently concluded Badminton Asia Championships, where PV Sindhu gained valuable match practice, while the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto impressed by reaching the quarterfinals.

Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy, both known for delivering strong performances in team events, will bring invaluable experience to the team.Former national champion Anupama Upadhayaya, ranked 45th in the world, will be the second women's singles player in the squad.

Additionally, the young pairing of Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra is also in the mix after injuries ruled out India's top-ranked women's doubles combination of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly.India Squad for Sudirman CupMen: Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, Hariharan Amsakarunan, Ruban Kumar R, Dhruv Kapila, Sathish Kumar KarunakaranWomen: PV Sindhu, Anupama Upadhyaya, Tanisha Crasto, Priya Konjengbam, Shruti Mishra, Aadya Variyath.