Credit: X
The Badminton Association of India has released 14-member squad for the BWF Sudirman Cup Finals as the mixed team championship is set to begin in Xiamen, China, from April 27 to May 4. The star doubles pair Chirag Shetty- Satwiksairaj Rankireddy will return to the squad. Satwik-Chirag, the world number eleven, was unable to compete in last week's Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, due to an injury. The injured women's doubles team of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, who missed the Continental Championships, have not been named to the squad. However, world champion PV Sindhu, World Championships medalists Lakshya Sen, and HS Prannoy are also in the squad.
India, positioned in Group D, will have a difficult opening round with matches against past champions Indonesia, two-time runners-up Denmark, and a powerful England team. India has yet to reach the semifinals of the Sudirman Cup. In the 2023 edition, India placed third in Group C, finishing behind Malaysia and Chinese Taipei, and missed out on advancing to the knockout stage. India qualified for this competition based on international rankings, and they will be hoping to advance from this tough group.
"We are not dependent on one or two events to register a win," Hon. General Secretary, Sanjay Mishra
The morale of the squad is high after the recent win at the Badminton Asia Championship 2025, where PV Sindhu and the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto played impressive matches. “The selectors have picked the best possible combination in all five categories despite some injury worries. We are no longer dependent on one or two events to win matches, and this makes us a strong force in any team event. We are confident that the team will not only make its mark in the group stages but can go on to create history by winning a medal,” said Hon. General Secretary, Sanjay Mishra.
The men's doubles will have a strong World No. 10 duo Satwik-Chirag, with Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi as backups. Similarly, ranked 45th former national champion Anupama Upadhyaya will be the second women's singles player on the roster.
India’s squad for Sudirman Cup 2025:
Men: Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Hariharan Amsakarunan, Ruban Kumar R, Dhruv Kapila, Sathish Kumar Karunakaran.
Women: PV Sindhu, Anupama Upadhyaya, Shruti Mishra, Aadya Variyath. Tanisha Crasto, Priya Konjengbam.
