Satwik-Chirag overcome Malaysians, pain barrier to get within one win of a medal

Indian duo were on the brink of ouster before securing 21-23, 21-19, 21-17 against Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap

4 min readUpdated: Aug 20, 2026 11:49 PM IST

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty play against Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap at the Badminton World Championship. (Express Photo | Gajendra Yadav)

Between shouldering the burden of bringing a home World Championship medal and burdening his shoulder in trying to do it, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy kept Delhi’s Indira Gandhi stadium thoroughly entertained.

World badminton’s most powerful smash is currently fragile due to his overused shoulder. But there was no pulling back on smashes once he committed to them, as him and Chirag Shetty battled for 82 minutes against Malaysians Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap before reaching the quarters with a 21-23, 21-19, 21-17 back-from-the-brink win and get within one step of their third Worlds medal.

The Delhi crowd was offered something that goes beyond medals, national pride and partisanship: pure edge-of-the-seat entertainment. They wholeheartedly embraced the ups and downs that the duo offered – taped shoulder, misfiring shots, warts and all.

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When they lost the opening game from 16-12 up, the crowd wouldn’t have been faulted for giving up. But they stayed on. Even when things got dire at 21-23, 16-18, three points away from an exit. Satwik had been ambushed predictably by the young Malaysians who saw an opportunity to scalp a patchy, scratchy pair of Indian giants.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty play against Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap at the Badminton World Championship. (Express Photo | Gajendra Yadav)

But while tendons and bones might break, the fight never cracked.Tan Kim Her and Pullela Gopichand were on the coaching bench, with the latter forgetting his inscrutable ways and clapping, wincing, shuddering, expressing glee – not too different from what fans in the stands would.

Even if Satwik struggled on fast parallels, he laboured on and plodded past the pain. The shoulder felt more tense and Satwik admitted he was stressing more over his health than strategy. A surgery is imminent, but before that there is a home World Championship to honour, even temporarily forgetting the shoulder and the shooting pain it sent through his arm.

“All good,” he would reassure nevertheless, not wanting to fuss.

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Crossing pain barrier

Chirag took on the defensive duties on both flanks, front and back, though the Malaysians tried turning the knife in the direction of where Satwik hunched. The shoulder is busted, but the Indians refused to give up on the 1-2. First Chirag soared, then Satwik went up, knowing their attack could break the spirit of any opponent.

The Chirag swivel serve delayed the chance to pounce, and both Indians kept the shuttle in play till they could string together an attacking 1-2. Satwik was being cautious, because he was literally risking the shoulder with every hit.

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The decider was earned with plenty of hard labour and chewed nails in the stands, and the duo made it unforgettable for those who had turned up, and stayed on.

They trailed 12-15 again, but they have navigated enough bad days. Satwik stepped up in time, Chirag remained aggressive as optimum smashing got the job done.

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Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty play against Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap at the Badminton World Championship. (Express Photo | Gajendra Yadav)

“There have been situations before when we didn’t feel perfect but fought back,” Chirag said.

The 19-17 point was the rally of the day. The Indians were under heavy smashing attack, survived it, made the offensive transition in a long rally and eventually ended with a smash. “We decided not to complicate,” Satwik added.

They need to down old enemies Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang to secure another medal. “We will prepare well tactically,” they said, as doubles kept Indian hopes alive.

“We couldn’t stay focused,” Yap said.

Satwik-Chirag had mastered focusing even when everything seemed out of place as they celebrated their 10 years together.

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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