India’s premier men’s doubles badminton pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, suffered a stunning first-round exit at the Asian Games 2026, bringing an abrupt end to their title defence in Aichi. Competing at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium on Friday, the fifth-ranked duo fell 12-21, 21-19, 21-14 to Thailand’s world No. 36 pair, Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Peeratchai Sukphun. The unexpected defeat extinguished the reigning champions’ bid to secure an unprecedented second consecutive gold medal following their historic triumph at Hangzhou 2023, where they had captured India’s first Asian Games badminton gold.
The early exit marks a major upset for Indian badminton, particularly given the strong form Rankireddy and Shetty demonstrated earlier in the week. During the men’s team semi-final against the People’s Republic of China, the Indian pair delivered a standout performance by defeating reigning world champions and world No. 3 Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang 21-11, 22-20. Although India ultimately settled for a bronze medal in the team event after a narrow 3-1 loss, that crucial victory underscored the duo’s resilience and capability under pressure against the world’s elite.
How the Upset Unfolded in Aichi
The opening game of the individual men’s doubles clash suggested a routine path forward for the defending champions. After grabbing an early 2-1 lead, Satwik and Chirag completely controlled the pace, denying their Thai opponents any opportunity to edge ahead before closing out the game comfortably at 21-12.
However, the momentum shifted dramatically in the second game. The match transformed into a tense, seesaw battle. Though the Indian pair established an early 4-2 lead, Teeraratsakul and Sukphun leveled the score at 5-5 and gradually seized control, establishing an 11-9 advantage by the interval. The Thai duo extended their cushion to 17-13 after the break. Despite a late fightback from Rankireddy and Shetty that narrowed the gap to 19-18, the Thai pair held their nerve to force a decisive third game with a 21-19 win.
The decider began on even footing with the score locked at 6-6, but Teeraratsakul and Sukphun once again claimed an 11-9 lead at the interval. Following the change of ends, the world No. 36 pair pulled decisively away, completing a memorable 21-14 victory and sealing the upset.
Mixed Success Across Indian Squad
While the men’s doubles title defence came to a premature halt, the wider Indian contingent experienced mixed fortunes across other events on Friday. In the mixed doubles, world No. 19 Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila secured a notable victory, overcoming Malaysia’s world No. 10 pair Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai 22-20, 24-22 in the second round. Crasto and Kapila had earlier commenced their campaign with a dominant 21-8, 21-7 win against the Maldives’ Aminath Abdul Razzaq and Nibal Ahmed.
In the women’s singles draw, Unnati Hooda advanced by defeating Yu Mi Song of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea 21-9, 21-10. Hooda is set to face Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching in the next round. Meanwhile, additional doubles pairings—including Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand alongside Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi in the women’s division, and Hariharan Amsakarunan paired with MR Arjun in the men’s division—prepared for their respective fixtures later in the day.
As the individual badminton tournaments at the Asian Games 2026 progress, the remaining Indian athletes will look to advance through the subsequent rounds while the badminton community processes one of the tournament's most surprising early exits.
