Badminton is missing from the Commonwealth Games 2026 program, but India’s top men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, have still had a busy year on the international circuit. Ranked world number four and reigning Asian Games champions, the duo remain one of the biggest draws in the sport.
A Strong Run in Singapore
At the Singapore Open, a BWF Super 750 event, Satwik-Chirag survived a hard-fought second round match to beat Chinese Taipei’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan in three games. That set up a quarterfinal against Malaysia’s Aaron Tai and Kang Khai Xing, continuing a deep run at one of the season’s bigger tournaments.
A Setback at the Asian Championships
Not everything has gone to plan this year. The pair pulled out of the Badminton Asia Championships 2026 in Ningbo at the last moment due to a shoulder injury to Satwik, a reminder of how physically demanding elite doubles badminton can be over a long season. Their withdrawal opened the door for other Indian pairs, including Hariharan Amsakarunan and M R Arjun, to lead the men’s doubles challenge in Ningbo instead.
Building Toward the World Championships
Despite the injury scare, Satwik-Chirag remain firmly in the picture for the BWF World Championships 2026, set to be held in New Delhi from August 17 to 23. As India’s highest-ranked entrants in men’s doubles for that tournament, expectations will be high given their status as reigning Asian Games champions and past Asian Championships winners.
Why This Pair Still Matters
Since becoming the first Indian pair to win the Asian Championships men’s doubles title in 2023, Satwik-Chirag have consistently been ranked among the world’s best doubles teams. Their combination of power and net play has made them a genuine threat at every major tournament they enter, injury permitting.
What to Watch For
With badminton off the Commonwealth Games calendar this year, the World Championships on home soil in New Delhi is shaping up as the biggest test of Satwik-Chirag’s 2026 season. If Satwik’s shoulder holds up, the pair will head into that tournament as one of India’s strongest medal hopes.
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