Veteran Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth gave fans something to cheer about at the Malaysia Masters 2025, as he secured a comfortable win in the men’s singles qualifiers to book his spot in the main draw.
Srikanth defeated Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen Kuo in straight games—21-8, 21-13—to seal his berth.
The 31-year-old, once ranked World No. 1, showed glimpses of his trademark aggression and control in the match, dominating the rallies and closing points with finesse. It was a much-needed positive start to the campaign for the Indian contingent, which otherwise endured a disappointing day in the qualifiers.
Next Challenge: Lu Guang Zu Awaits
Srikanth’s reward for qualifying is a challenging first-round clash against the 6th seed, Lu Guang Zu of China. The Chinese shuttler is a consistent presence in the top tier of the BWF World Tour and will test Srikanth’s fitness and tactical sharpness. While Srikanth enters the match as the underdog, his experience and recent signs of improved form could make it an engaging contest.
Indian Qualifiers Falter Across the Board
Unfortunately, Srikanth was the only Indian to advance from the qualifying rounds. Four other Indian players/pairs fell short of reaching the main draw:
Men’s Singles:
- Tharun Mannepalli lost a close encounter to Thailand’s Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul: 13-21, 21-23. The left-handed Thai exposed Tharun’s weak body-line defense and lack of variation in net play, areas that the Indian youngster will need to improve upon.
- Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian was edged out in straight but hard-fought games by China’s Zhu Yi Jun: 20-22, 20-22. Despite the narrow margins, Sankar couldn’t convert key points and fell just short.
Women’s Singles:
- Anmol Kharb, one of India’s top emerging prospects, continued her poor run of form with a straight-game loss to Hong Kong’s Hung En-Tzu: 14-21, 18-21. Anmol has now lost four matches on the BWF tour this season—each in straight games—and is yet to win a game in any of the Super 300 or higher-level tournaments this year.
With confidence clearly shaken, it might be time for Anmol to focus more on BWF International Challenge and Super 100 events to rebuild her rhythm, gain match experience, and work on closing the gaps in her game.
Mixed Doubles:
- The sibling pair of Jaglan/Jaglan exited in the qualifying quarterfinals, losing to Malaysia’s Too/Shan: 15-21, 16-21. The Indian pair struggled to control the net and made too many unforced errors, especially in the second game.
A Wake-Up Call for the Bench
The overall performance from India’s qualifying squad highlights a need for reflection and recalibration. With the Paris Olympics behind us and the qualification cycle for LA 2028 now beginning to take shape, these early-season events are crucial opportunities for younger players to rise through the ranks. Unfortunately, most of the upcoming Indian shuttlers have not yet found consistency at the Super 300+ level.
Players like Tharun and Sankar showed promise but must fine-tune their tactical discipline and shot selection under pressure. For Anmol, who is just 18, this is an important phase to assess where her training and tournament strategy need adjustment.
Spotlight on Srikanth—Can He Revive His Career?
Back to Srikanth, his win in the qualifiers is a reminder of the class he still possesses. After a long stretch battling injuries and inconsistency, he now has a chance to turn the tide in 2025. A strong showing against Lu Guang Zu could be the start of a late-career resurgence. Srikanth remains one of India’s most accomplished players, and if he can string together some momentum, he could still be a valuable figure on the world tour.
Summary of Indian Results – Malaysia Masters 2025 Qualifiers:
MS – Qual R16:
Kidambi Srikanth def. Kuo Chi Yu (TPE) 21-8, 21-13
MS – Qual R16:
Panitchaphon (THA) def. Tharun Mannepalli 21-13, 23-21
Zhu Yi Jun (CHN) def. Sankar M S 22-20, 22-20
WS – Qual QF:
Hung En-Tzu (HKG) def. Anmol Kharb 21-14, 21-18
XD – Qual QF:
Too/Shan (MAS) def. Jaglan/Jaglan 21-15, 21-16
With just Srikanth in the main draw, the onus is on the veteran to carry Indian hopes forward at the Malaysia Masters 2025. His next match will be one to watch—not just for the result, but to see if Indian men’s singles has a familiar name re-emerging on the big stage.
