EXCLUSIVE
They started the year wanting to be in the top three in the world rankings. Now, they are there. They wanted to win a Super 1000 event. They did. They have also played back-to-back finals. Clearly, they are the hottest pair on the circuit at the moment, the ones who others want to hunt down. Does that put any extra pressure on them, and how are they gearing up for the World Championships? Having just finished training, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty joined Boria Majumdar for a candid conversation that included mention of the new cuisine that Satwik had tried out the previous night in Copenhagen. Excerpts from the conversation.
Boria: Two back-to-back titles. World No. 2. You guys are the team to beat. How do you look at things now?
Chirag: I don’t think much has changed for us. For two years now, people knew that once we got a little more consistent, we are a good enough pair and have the ability to beat any pair on our day. Now we have the consistency. Rankings et cetera don’t really matter. Yes, it is great to know you are No. 2 or No. 1, but it is a new tournament, and we start exactly where anyone else starts. We are just focusing on our game and are confident of doing well . We have deliberately stayed away from some tournaments and chosen to play less tournaments than some other pairs, but in the ones we play, we will do our absolute best.
Boria: Satwik, is there any extra pressure now that you both are the second-ranked team in the world?
Satwik: There is pressure, but that’s when you need to make an adjustment that you won’t let pressure get to you. And you need to keep enjoying your game. At one point, I felt our opponents were enjoying themselves when I was not. It was as if I was always tense and always pushing too hard. And in doing so, I wasn’t enjoying myself. That’s when I made this adjustment. And since then, I have started to feel a lot freer on court and have enjoyed myself a lot more. Here also, I think we can play some good badminton and enjoy doing so in our coach’s hometown.
Boria: Chirag, you both are now a brand. You talk about India’s leading sports stars, and Satwik and Chirag are right up there. Do you both think of such things? Also, you did not play the Australian Open to keep fresh? How are you both feeling going into the World Championships?
Chirag: We just play badminton and want to do well in every match we play. It is very nice to hear things like we are a brand, but we aren’t going to let such things get to our heads. Our focus is single-minded and that is to play quality badminton. All else will take care of itself. Coming to the second part, yes, we did not play the Australian Open to ensure we stayed fresh and came here well rested. That has worked, and we are going in totally prepared.
Boria: You both have a complete game now. You have a very strong attack, and your defence has also improved a lot. Is there anything in particular that you are working on at the moment?
Satwik: I think our attacking game is right up there. When we are attacking, we know we can certainly win a point. I can’t say the same for when we are defending. I will say such points are 50-50 or even 40-60, and that’s where we need to improve. When we are defending, we can still get better. There will be days when we aren’t going to attack and be at our best. We know our plan A is very good. Do we have an equally good plan B? That’s what we are working on.
Boria: Chirag, we have discussed this in the past as well. In India, however much you win the World Championship, people will still say you need to win an Asian Games gold. As players, how do you make an adjustment with such a disconnect?
Chirag: Yes, I agree with you that in our country, it is about the Olympics, Asian Games or even the Commonwealth Games. But for us, a World Championship is as important as the Olympics. You are world champion – the best in the world. Having said that, we are also aware of how important the Asian Games is, and we will do our best to be well prepared for the Asian Games. There will be a week before the China Open and another before the Asian Games, and we should be adequately prepared for sure.
Boria: Satwik, your celebrations have gone viral. The Gangnam style dance in Korea, for example. Did you ever think that at 23, you would also become a style statement of sorts?
Satwik: I just played badminton because I wanted to play. I loved the sport, and that’s why I started playing in school. All that has followed is not something I ever thought. And in Korea, it was Chirag who said let’s do the Gangnam dance. And we did. Frankly, I always love to move my body and dance. It comes naturally to me, and that’s why our celebrations are always spontaneous. But they aren’t things that I have ever thought about, I can tell you that.
Boria: So, Chirag, have you found an Indian restaurant in Copenhagen for Satwik?
Chirag: (Satwik is going nuts laughing) No, not yet. We know there is one here, but we haven’t gone there yet. As in, Satwik hasn’t tried it. Last night, he had Lebanese.
Boria: Now that’s my headline – Satwik tries Lebanese food!
Satwik: No, I do try other cuisines at times, and anything with chicken is good for me. In fact, I have said to myself that I need to be more open. Indian food is a kind of indulgence, and maybe I will have it the day before my game so that I am in my comfort zone. But otherwise, anything chicken I can manage. And when we go for Indian, it is Sri Anna who is my partner. Shetty bhai won’t go, and will have Japanese food.
Boria: Chirag, one question for you. You are very soft-spoken in every interview. And even when we have spoken on WhatsApp. On court, you are very different. How does the aggressive Chirag take over?
Chirag: Let me give you a cricketing reference. If Virat Kohli is asked to play his game quietly, he will never be able to do so. He has to be aggressive and expressive. That’s him. On court, it comes naturally to me, and that’s how I am. If I try to be more restrained, I won’t be able to play my natural game and will perhaps not do as well. The aggression is very natural for me, and it helps me play at my best.
Boria: Folks, have whatever food you want, but stay the way you both are. Humble and modest. Have a great World Championship, and a fantastic next five weeks for India, and we will soon meet in China. We can all hope and pray that you both dominate your sport like a Federer or Djokovic or Nadal. We have never seen an Indian pair do so, and you have the potential.
Chirag: Thanks much for always supporting us.
Satwik: Yes, and we can promise you that on court, nothing else matters to us except our game. Nothing else.