India’s star badminton duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty had been missing from action since the 2025 All England Open. The seventh seeded pair at the time had conceded their pre-quarterfinal match after Chirag’s back injury had flared up. Previously, Satwik had also been dealing with a shoulder injury late last year that affected their performance.
The Indian contingent had a below par showing at the 2025 Sudirman Cup with the top shuttlers injured and only “50% of the team” present at the tournament as Sanjay Mishra had told exclusively to RevSportz. The BAI Secretary General had opened up on Chirag’s injury struggle ahead of the Sudirman cup, emphasising that the 27 year-old did not want to withdraw but was forced to owing to Doctor’s orders. Meanwhile, his partner on court had been dealing with chickenpox, leaving the duo with no other option but to miss out.
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“Satwik had chickenpox, and Chirag was dealing with a back injury. He had to concede the match at All England and was undergoing rehab. He kept telling me, ‘Sir, don’t withdraw the entry (to Sudirman Cup). If I start playing, I’ll give 100%.’
A few days before departure, he said, ‘Sir, If I exert myself even a little bit I feel dizzy.’ The doctor warned him that long travel could make things worse. We can’t ask a player to risk his career for one tournament. These players are long-term assets. I told him, “No problem, we’ll win next year’s Sudirman Cup.” Mishra told RevSportz in an exclusive conversation.
In what will be a definite boost for Indian badminton, the pair are likely to return to Singapore Open, scheduled to kickstart on May 27. They are also likely to participate in the Indonesia Open, starting June 3rd. While Satwik is fully fit, Chirag is showing positive signs and will be back to 100 percent fitness soon.
Earlier it was also confirmed by close sources to RevSportz, that the tenth seeded Women’s Doubles pair of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly are all set to return to the court at the Thailand Open on 13th May, following an injury layoff.