Press Release:
Date – January 04, 2023
World No 1 position is our goal in 2023: Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty on Backstage with Boria
Backstage with Boria Season 4 is back with a stellar line-up of sports stars. Over the next 3 months, the show will feature Nikhat Zareen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, Manika Batra, Sourav Ghoshal, Sharath Kamal, Abhinav Bindra, Tejaswin Shankar, Pankaj Advani, PR Sreejesh and Harmanpreet Singh, Dileep Tirkey, Mirabai Chanu, Savita Punia, Rameshbabu Pragganandhaa, Pullela Gopichand and a host of other leading athletes.
As part of the build up to the India Australia cricket series, there is a special focus on fast bowling with Jeff Thomson and Allan Mulally giving us masterclasses on swing bowling.
BWB Season 4 launched with Commonwealth Games gold medallist Nikhat Zareen. In the second episode it featured World No 5 doubles pair Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
According to Pullela Gopichand, “They have a complete game and are surely going to be the team to watch out for in the next few years. If you check, there are few like them around the world. They have the physical strength to hit the big smashes, they have the defence and age is on their side. They will only get better. And having played in Tokyo and knowing what it is all about they will surely be one of our best bets for Paris.”
Satwik and Chirag said on the show, “What works for us is we are very different people and yet very similar. We travel and stay together and yet our habits and likes and dislikes are profoundly different. While I am outgoing and flamboyant, Satwik, his Paris dance notwithstanding, is an introvert. While Satwik prefers Indian food, I love Japanese and other global cuisines. We either go to a food court where all options are available or one of us eats first while the other offers company and then go to a place where the other gets his preferred food. Most importantly we are there for each other on bad days. If you are playing doubles the first thing is you can’t blame your partner for an off day. You win together and you lose together. You need to take it in your chin and move on. Things won’t go well for you everyday, and you need to understand that as sportspeople.”
Speaking about the episode Boria Majumdar said, “Between 2021 and 2022, Satwik and Chirag have become a force to reckon with globally. They had the talent but the belief that they can win at the big stage and have impact have come in the last one year. 2 super series titles, the incredible Thomas Cup win and also the CWG gold, it has been a fantastic year for India’s premier doubles pair.”
Satwik and Chirag are Revsportz athletes of the year Male for 2022.