PV Sindhu to Lead Indian Team at 2026 Australian Badminton Open

Indian Contingent Set for Australian Badminton Open

New Delhi, June 8: Olympic medalist PV Sindhu is set to head a 24-member Indian team at the upcoming 2026 Australian Badminton Open, commencing on Tuesday. The squad includes seasoned player HS Prannoy and promising talent Ayush Shetty.

Notably, Lakshya Sen, the reigning men's singles champion, will not be defending his BWF Super 500 title from last year. Additionally, former champion Kidambi Srikanth, who won the tournament in 2017, will also be absent this year, as reported by a media outlet.

Sindhu will lead a strong group of eight competitors in the women's singles category at the Quaycentre, Olympic Boulevard, in Sydney.

In the women's singles, players such as Malvika Bansod, Anmol Kharb, Tanvi Sharma, Isharani Baruah, Aakarshi Kashyap, and Tanya Hemnath have secured direct entries into the main draw, while Imad Farooqui Samiya will start her journey in the qualifying rounds.

It is important to note that India will not have any representatives in the women's doubles event at this year's Australian Badminton Open.

The men's doubles category will also miss the Asian Games gold medalists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who withdrew due to Satwik's shoulder injury sustained during the Indonesia Open last week, preventing their participation in Sydney.

MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan will aim to step up and continue their impressive form after reaching the quarter-finals in Jakarta.

Achutaditya Rao Doddavarapu and Arjun Reddy Pochana are preparing for their second BWF World Tour event of the season, having previously competed at the Orleans Masters earlier this year.

In men's singles, Ayush Shetty, HS Prannoy, and Kiran George will lead a somewhat weakened Indian challenge. All three faced first-round exits at the Indonesia Open last week and are eager to improve their performances in Sydney.

India will also be represented by three pairs in the mixed doubles event. Dhruv Kapila and Olympian Tanisha Crasto will lead the charge, accompanied by Dhruv Rawat and Manisha Keer, as well as the sibling duo of Mohit Jaglan and Lakshita Jaglan.

**Australian Badminton Open 2026: Indian Squad:**

**Men's Singles:** HS Prannoy, Ayush Shetty, Kiran George, Tharun Mannepalli, Saneeth Dayanand (Q), Manraj Singh (Q)

**Men's Doubles:** MR Arjun-Hariharan Amsakarunan, Achutaditya Rao Doddavarapu-Arjun Reddy Pochana

**Women's Singles:** PV Sindhu, Tanvi Sharma, Malvika Bansod, Isharani Baruah, Anmol Kharb, Aakarshi Kashyap, Tanya Hemnath, Imad Farooqui Samiya (Q)

**Mixed Doubles:** Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto, Dhruv Rawat-Manisha Keer, Mohit Jaglan-Lakshita Jaglan.