Indian badminton, once buoyed by the historic rise of stars like P.V. Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth, and the dynamic men’s doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, is facing a harsh statistical reality: for the first time in recent years, no Indian shuttler or pair will feature in the world top 10 rankings across any category next week.
This marks a symbolic low point for Indian badminton, which had been riding high with major wins on the BWF World Tour, World Championships medals, and Olympic podium finishes. As per the latest Badminton World Federation (BWF) ranking updates, here’s how Indian players now stand — and what this downturn signals.
Men’s Singles: Sinking Out of Contention
India’s most competitive category over the past decade has taken a visible hit. Lakshya Sen, who was once ranked in the top 10 and hailed as the next big hope, has now dropped one spot to world no. 18, marking a further fall from grace after a quiet season so far.
H.S. Prannoy, whose late-career resurgence was among the few positives in recent years, has moved up one spot to 33, but remains well outside elite contention. The young trio of Priyanshu Rajawat (35), Ayush Shetty (36), and Kiran George (37) are packed closely in the mid-30s, a sign of depth — but also inconsistency.
None of these players has made deep runs in major events in 2025, and with Olympic qualification cycles heating up, this lack of presence in Super 750 or Super 1000 finals is alarming.
Women’s Singles: Sindhu Slips, Unnati Rises
Two-time Olympic medalist P.V. Sindhu, still the face of Indian badminton, has now dropped to world no. 21, falling one position this week. Her continued slide reflects her ongoing search for rhythm following her comeback from injury.
Malvika Bansod also slipped by a spot to 23, while the bright spark this week is Unnati Hooda, who rose five places to world no. 38 — continuing her promising climb as one of the youngest prospects in the international circuit.
Anupama Upadhyaya (42) and Rakshitha Sree (43) also registered two-place jumps each, hinting at a broader crop of emerging players. However, without major wins or consistent quarterfinal finishes, they remain on the fringes of top-tier relevance.
Men’s Doubles: A Drop, Then a Rebound
There’s some movement in men’s doubles, but not quite the kind Indian fans were hoping for. Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, who were recently in the world top 5 and Olympic medal favorites, have now slid down the rankings due to lack of recent tournaments and early exits. They’re up five places this week to 22, but the number is a far cry from their former standing.
Behind them, the pairing of M.R. Arjun and Dhruv Kapila continues to be absent due to injuries and lack of consistent appearances, while Hariharan and Ruban have risen one place to world no. 37, still outside the radar of major threats at high-tier events.
Women’s Doubles: From Consistency to Collapse
In what might be the most glaring fall, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand — semifinalists at the All England Championships in 2023 and once ranked inside the top 10 — have dropped two places to no. 12. A string of early exits and lack of breakthroughs against top Asian and European pairs have hurt their rankings.
Meanwhile, Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa have slid five places to 33, indicating a sharp fall and a growing gap between India and the world’s top-tier women’s doubles teams.
Mixed Doubles: Sliding Down a Slope
India’s mixed doubles campaign is also in need of a rethink. Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila, the country’s top-ranked pair, have dropped one place to 17, failing to crack the top 10 despite a few promising performances earlier this year.
A silver lining comes from Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani, who are up five spots to no. 29, showing steady progress. However, none of the Indian pairs have yet demonstrated the consistency required to challenge top Chinese, Korean, or European pairs on the world stage.
A Wake-Up Call for Indian Badminton
The absence of any Indian player or pair in the top 10 of BWF world rankings is not just a numerical statistic — it is a wake-up call. India’s success over the last decade had created expectations of sustained excellence. The current dip reflects the challenges of transition, injuries, over-dependence on a few stars, and perhaps an inability to convert domestic promise into international breakthroughs.
With the 2026 Asian Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on the horizon, this ranking slide should prompt immediate strategic introspection — from player management and coaching support to scheduling and overseas exposure.
The clock is ticking, and while the talent pipeline still looks promising, results, not rankings, will determine if India can return to the summit of world badminton.
