Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty Advance in BWF World Championships

In an unexpected turn of events, India's top men's doubles badminton pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, advanced to the next round of the BWF World Championships without playing a match. Their opponents withdrew, granting them a walkover. This advancement allows them extra preparation time as they aim for a podium finish in front of a home crowd. With previous bronze medals in 2022 and 2025, they are on the verge of making history as the first Indian men's doubles team to win multiple medals at the World Championships. Their journey continues as they prepare to face a tougher challenge in the next round.

By Narendra Chaudhary Aug 19, 2026, 13:13 IST

Indian Duo Progresses Without Playing

File image of Satwik and Chirag(Photo: @TheKhelIndia/X)

New Delhi, Aug 19: The BWF World Championships for India's premier men's doubles team, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, commenced in an unexpected manner as they advanced without stepping onto the court. Their first-round opponents, Scotland's Alexander Dunn and Adam Pringle, withdrew from the match scheduled at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Wednesday.

Initially set to compete against the Scottish duo on Tuesday, the Indian pair received a bye in the first round, which meant they automatically progressed to the next stage due to their opponents' withdrawal.

This unexpected advancement allows Satwik and Chirag extra time to prepare for their upcoming challenge, where they are expected to face Indonesia's 12th-seeded pair, Raymond Indra and Nicolas Joaquin.

Entering the tournament with high spirits after clinching the Singapore Open title in May, the duo aims to leverage the home crowd's support to enhance their already impressive World Championships record.

Satwik and Chirag have previously secured bronze medals at the global event in 2022 and 2025. A podium finish in New Delhi would make them the first Indian men's doubles team to achieve multiple medals at the World Championships.

Currently, only two Indian athletes, P V Sindhu and Saina Nehwal, have earned more medals at this prestigious event.

For now, their campaign has taken an unusual turn, with a spot in the next round confirmed before they even played a single rally.