The 2025 badminton season has been dramatic and, in many ways, below average when measured against the potential of Indian badminton. Yet, amid a patchy year, the BWF World Championships provided a much-needed turning point. It was there that P.V. Sindhu and the men’s doubles duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty rediscovered momentum.
For SatChi, as the pair is popularly called, the past three tournaments have signaled a steady return. Injuries, personal setbacks, and mental challenges have made the road rocky, but their resilience has ensured progress. There is still work to be done on the psychological front, but their trajectory once again looks upward.
The difficulties began after their disappointing Paris 2024 Olympic campaign, where SatChi’s loss of form and sharpness was evident. There were flashes of brilliance, but semifinals remained an uncrossable hurdle. At tournaments like the Indonesia Masters, Japan Open, and All England, they bowed out in the round of 16, and at the Macau Open and Indonesia Open, quarterfinals were the limit.
The struggles deepened in March at the All England Open, when SatChi conceded their second-round match due to Chirag’s back injury. That setback forced an extended break from competition.
Soon after, tragedy struck when Satwik lost his father to a cardiac arrest, a devastating blow that affected his emotional balance. These personal and physical setbacks came together as hurdles on what was already a rugged road.
From Rehab to Redemption
The Singapore Open in May marked their comeback. “We prepared well, but were uncertain about bringing our plans together and glad that it worked,” Satwik said after defeating the then-world no. 1 pair Goh/Nur in the quarterfinals. Although they narrowly lost in the semifinals against their arch-rivals Chia/Soh—18-21 in the decider the result restored belief. The duo also faced defeats against strong pairs like Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang, Chia/Soh, and Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun, but there were positive signs.
They beat dangerous pairs such as Gutama/Isfahani, Leo Rolly Carnando/Daniel Marthin, Kang Min Hyuk/Seo Seung Jae, and Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi, showing clear improvement.
The World Championships in Paris, played at the Adidas Arena the same venue that hosted the Olympics proved defining. SatChi entered as dark horses but immediately impressed with a nail-biting win over sixth seeds Liang/Wang in the pre-quarterfinals. Then came the sweetest moment: a quarterfinal clash against Chia/Soh, the very pair who had ended their Olympic campaign at the same stage and same venue. This time, SatChi turned the tables, dismissing the Malaysians in just 43 minutes.
Though they lost to the Chinese pair Chen Bo Yang/Liu Yi in the semifinals, SatChi returned home with a historic bronze medal, India’s second men’s doubles medal at the World Championships. The momentum carried into the Hong Kong Open (Super 500), where they broke their streak of six semifinal exits by storming into the final. Despite losing to Liang/Wang 21-19, 14-21, 17-21, they had crossed another mental barrier.
Their next stop, the China Masters (Super 750), produced more fireworks. SatChi once again defeated Chia/Soh in straight games to reach the final but eventually lost to the world no. 1 Koreans Kim Gi Jung/Seo Seung Jae. SatChi’s resurgence is evident, but flaws remain. In their last three tournaments, they lost to lower-ranked Chen/Liu after beating higher-quality pairs. They also showed a tendency to falter in deciders. At the Hong Kong Open final, for example, they couldn’t capitalize on a late comeback against Liang/Wang. In the China Masters final, they squandered a 14-7 lead in the opening game against Kim/Seo, who then took complete control.
These matches underline the need for sharper mental focus and tactical awareness in crunch moments. Still, fans appreciated how SatChi adjusted their approach against Kim/Seo, choosing not to rush into all-out attack against a pair renowned for their defense.
In modern badminton, sudden comebacks are rare. Progress comes slowly, and SatChi’s rise illustrates this well. From six consecutive semifinal exits from the last time they made the finals, they have now reached two finals in successive weeks. As SatChi themselves said: “We played some good badminton over the past fortnight. Happy with that but still hunting for a title.” Their coach Tan Kim Her now has the task of helping them refine the mental and tactical aspects that could make the difference between finals and trophies.
Badminton has a saying: “One step at a time.” For SatChi, the steps are being taken, steadily and surely. The rust is shaking off, and what lies ahead could well be the most promising chapter yet in Indian badminton’s doubles journey.
