India's Women's Doubles Shine at BWF World Championships 2026

At the BWF World Championships 2026, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand secured a strong victory in women's doubles, advancing to the Round of 16. Meanwhile, Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi faced elimination against Bulgaria's Stoeva sisters. The day also saw Unnati Hooda triumph in women's singles, while mixed doubles teams encountered challenges. Discover the highlights and results of India's badminton journey in this prestigious tournament.

By Narendra Chaudhary Aug 18, 2026, 20:28 IST

Women's Doubles Highlights

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand advanced India's journey at the BWF World Championships 2026 with a convincing win against the 16th seeds, Lauren Lam and Allison Lee from the USA. However, the campaign for Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi came to an end after they lost to Bulgaria's Stoeva sisters in the women's doubles Round of 32 on Tuesday.

In a strong display at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Treesa and Gayatri secured their spot in the Round of 16 by defeating the American duo 21-15, 21-12. The Indian pair, currently ranked 39th globally, maintained their composure throughout both games, preventing their opponents from gaining any momentum. After clinching the first game 21-15, they intensified their offensive strategy to win the second game 21-12.

Conversely, Kavipriya and Simran were unable to replicate their earlier success, falling 7-21, 14-21 to the experienced Stoeva sisters. The Indian duo had reached the Round of 32 after a hard-fought victory over Spain's Nikol Carulla and Carmen Maria Jimenez, winning 22-20, 21-14 in their opening match. Unfortunately, the Stoeva sisters took charge early in the match, concluding the contest in straight games and ending Kavipriya and Simran's World Championships run.

Mixed Results for Indian Players

The outcomes in women's doubles followed a mixed bag for India on Day 2 of the championships. Unnati Hooda delivered a positive start in women's singles by defeating Myanmar's Thet Htar Thuzar with scores of 22-20, 21-16 in her first-round match.

Earlier, the mixed doubles team faced two disappointments. Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh, who entered as last-minute reserves, lost a tightly contested match that featured a rare Golden Point at 29-29. Despite having chances in the final game, they could not secure a win. Additionally, Ruthvika Gadde and Rohan Kapoor exited the tournament after losing 22-20, 19-21, and 17-21 to Canada's Crystal Lai and Jonathan Lai.

India had a stellar opening day, with all five participants winning their respective Round of 64 matches, including Ayush Shetty's remarkable upset against defending champion Shi Yu Qi and PV Sindhu's straight-game victory over Ireland's Sophia Noble.