Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty Shockingly Exit Asian Games 2026

Unexpected First-Round Exit for Indian Badminton Duo

Aichi, Sep 25: Defending champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty faced a surprising defeat in the first round of the men's doubles badminton event at the Asian Games 2026, losing to Thailand's Peeratchai Sukhphun and Pakkapon Teeraratsakul.

The Indian pair, ranked World No. 5, was eliminated with scores of 21-12, 19-21, and 14-21 against the Thai duo, who are ranked 36th in the world, at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium, marking a disappointing end to their title defense.

Entering the Asian Games with strong momentum after winning the China Masters title last month, Satwik and Chirag had previously shown resilience by coming back from a game down to defeat China's He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu in a thrilling final. However, they could not replicate that success in Nagoya.

Initially, Satwik and Chirag dominated the match, taking the first game 21-12. Yet, Sukhphun and Teeraratsakul gradually found their rhythm, making the second game more challenging for the Indians.

The Thai pair established a four-point lead at 17-13, but Satwik and Chirag managed to narrow the gap to 18-19. Unfortunately, their comeback attempt fell short, leading to a decisive third game.

In the final game, Sukhphun and Teeraratsakul maintained their momentum, quickly taking control as Satwik and Chirag struggled to respond, ultimately losing 21-14.

This defeat comes shortly after the duo contributed significantly to India's bronze medal in the men's team event. In the semifinals against China, they delivered an impressive performance against the reigning world champions Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, winning 21-11, 22-20. However, India settled for bronze after losing in the semifinals.

With their individual men's doubles campaign concluded, Satwik and Chirag will leave the Asian Games without the chance to defend the gold medal they secured in the last edition.