India Open badminton: MR Arjun seeks a turnaround in fortunes, with a younger, fiery partner in Hariharan beating fancied Malaysians

The luck factor wasn’t lost on Arjun. “I was telling Hari when we were knocking before the match, when I got like 2-3 lucky net cords, I think today’s a lucky day for us, and eventually that happened on court, and at a crucial stage in the match,” Arjun said. It is perhaps the luck his otherwise unfortunate career needs at this point. Long considered one of the most exciting doubles players India has produced, Arjun has had to deal with a plethora of injuries in recent years. A promising partnership with Kapila – that was one win away from a World Championships medal in 2022 – was hampered because of an ankle injury to Arjun. That was followed by back issues that took Arjun more than a year and a half to diagnose properly. Kapila, by now, moved on to mixed doubles with Tanisha Crasto while Arjun dealt with injuries and a cycle of different partners.

“The injuries were very hard. Only the people close to me know what it was like. There were phases when I used to doubt myself. I never questioned my playing style or anything but my body… And then, when I couldn’t find the right partnership. Tan Coach (Tan Kim Her) came in and suggested that I pair up with Hariharan in the later part of 2025, which eventually clicked in the first four tournaments we played,” Arjun recalled.

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Arjun’s partnership with Hariharan was off to a good start, with semifinals at Indonesia Masters and quarterfinals at Kaohsiung Masters. Then came a title run at Al Ain Masters. “For me, the first Super 100 title was special after all these years. Even though I’ve had good performances here and there, a title is always a title.”

With Arjun being a Malayali and Hariharan being a Tamilian, the communication lines are strong. Arjun, six years older, says it has been easy to hit it off with Hariharan off the court. And the youngster calls Arjun an inspiration, having grown up watching the pacy doubles specialist spring himself on the court from end to end at speed. For Arjun, Hariharan’s fiery nature on court has acted as additional motivation. “When we used to play Ong-Teo in the past, there used to be a feeling of respect. I am very happy to see Hari play with the fire to win, which is very hard to find in some youngsters. But him showing out that fiery spirit in him motivates me as well, even though I’m a senior player,” Arjun said.

It’s still early days for the partnership, but they are setting small goals. Win smaller events, get enough points to enter the top events and try winning a round or two. And eventually, by the end of the year, enter the top 30. “Just fingers crossed, no more injuries and stuff, and probably you guys will see us in the top 30 soon,” Arjun said.