How Tanisha Crasto – Dhruv Kapila bond despite disagreeing on…Matcha

India's top mixed doubles pairing learn to play steady even on bad days

2 min readUpdated: Aug 19, 2026 01:58 PM IST

Tanisha Crasto & Dhruv Kapila Badminton World Championship

Tanisha Crasto & Dhruv Kapila in action during Quarterfinals at the BWF World Championships 2025 in Paris (Credit: Badminton Photo)

They might be overshadowed by India’s singles stars and the more successful doubles in Sarwik-Chirag. But India’s top ranked mixed doubles Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila are trying to find stability even when things get spiky and difficult on court.

This includes Dhruv professing his love for the Japanese drink Matcha, while Tanisha crinkles her nose at the beverage. “It tastes like grass!” she declares. They completed a 30-minute 21-11, 21-11 saunter over Macau’s Chong-Chi anyway, to get their World Championships campaign underway.

For the fiery pairing that struck consistency around 2024 but had gone off the boil after the last World’s, where they made quarters on an impressive debut, off-court practices have forged a stronger bond. Coach Tan Kim Her insists on pairings working on ironing out creases of habit, away from the field of play. “We have been analysing matches together which gives us more clarity,” Tanisha says.

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The pairing each came from men’s and women’s doubles respectively. And Tanisha had more of the adjustment to do, even as Dhruv would shoulder the backcourt attack. The mixed doubles explosive movement to the front court needed a bolt start, given it was a massive departure from women’s doubles. “The aggressive moving in to the frontcourt was something Coach Tan worked on that was different from my court play with Ashwini Ponappa in women’s doubles,” Tanisha says of ensuring that she is constantly on the move while Dhruv covers the backcourt.

“He’s made our game more physical,” Dhruv adds.

The duo stuck to flatter lengths on crosses on Wednesday, but will be suddenly thrown into a speed storm on Thursday when they play Chinese Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui, seeded sixth, who wrapped up their match I under 25 minutes.

The uphill climb will need the consistency in temperament that comes from stabilizing their mindsets. “Basically, to not be too happy when we win. And too down on losses. Just keep the graph steady,” Dhruv says. Tanisha in all her exuberance maintains there’s more good days than bad now, though they brutally disagree on what they think of Matcha on any given day.

Shivani Naik

Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More

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