The Queen Still Reigns: PV Sindhu’s Dominance and the New Generation Knocking

When one speaks of excellence in Indian badminton, one name continues to stand tallest: PV Sindhu. The two-time Olympic medallist and former world champion remains India’s undisputed number one in women’s singles.

Yet, for the first time in a decade, her long-held crown appears under genuine pressure, with a new generation of hungry, ambitious shuttlers steadily closing the gap.

At 29, Sindhu remains India’s most accomplished badminton player, with a resume that defines modern Indian sport. In 2019, she became the first Indian to win gold at the BWF World Championships an achievement that elevated her from national star to global icon. Her Olympic record is unparalleled in Indian badminton: a silver medal at Rio 2016 followed by a bronze at Tokyo 2020, making her the only Indian to win two Olympic medals in individual events.

Sindhu reached a career-high world No. 2 ranking in April 2017, the highest ever by an Indian shuttler in women’s singles. While her ranking has slipped in recent seasons and hovered around the 18–19 range toward the end of 2024, the numbers alone fail to capture her sustained quality. In December 2024, she underlined her enduring class by winning her third Syed Modi International title, defeating China’s Wu Luoyu in the final.

Beyond medals and rankings, Sindhu’s true strength lies in her temperament. For nearly a decade, she has repeatedly delivered on the sport’s biggest stages, handling pressure better than any Indian women’s singles player before her. Her experience in high-stakes situations World Championships finals, Olympic semifinals, and crunch matches against the world’s best remains unmatched within the Indian setup.

The Challengers Emerging from the Shadows

Yet Indian women’s badminton is no longer a one-player story. For the first time since Sindhu’s rise, domestic competition is real and sustained, led by players who are no longer content to measure success in proximity to her achievements.

Malvika Bansod: The Steady Climber

At 23, Malvika Bansod has emerged as Sindhu’s most consistent challenger. The Nagpur-born left-hander has quietly built a reputation as the most reliable Indian performer outside Sindhu over the last two years. Ranked around the low-40s currently, Malvika has already demonstrated that her ceiling is considerably higher, having reached a career-best world ranking of 28 in October 2023.

Her arrival on the bigger stage began in 2022 when she defeated Saina Nehwal and reached the Syed Modi International final, where she lost to Sindhu. Rather than being discouraging, that defeat marked a learning curve. In 2024, Malvika became only the third Indian woman after Nehwal and Sindhu to reach a BWF World Tour final outside India, finishing runner-up at the Hylo Open in Germany.

Malvika has also shown an ability to produce major upsets. Her victory over Paris 2024 bronze medallist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung at the China Open highlighted a growing belief and tactical maturity. Regular deep runs in Super 300 and Super 500 tournaments suggest that she is on the brink of breaking into the elite tier.

The question around Malvika is no longer if she can challenge Sindhu domestically, but when. If her injury-free progression continues, a strong showing at a higher-level tournament in 2025 could see her close the ranking gap significantly. Technically sound, increasingly fit, and now battle-hardened, she represents the most immediate threat to Sindhu’s numerical supremacy.

Anmol Kharb: The Fearless Teenager

If Malvika symbolises methodical rise, 18-year-old Anmol Kharb represents fearless disruption. The Haryana teenager announced herself dramatically by playing a defining role in India’s first-ever gold at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in 2024.

Ranked outside the top 400 at the time, Kharb won all three deciding matches she was entrusted with, defeating opponents ranked vastly higher. In the final, she swept aside Thailand’s world No. 45 Pornpicha Choeikeewong 21-14, 21-9 with a level of composure that belied both her age and ranking.

That breakthrough translated swiftly onto the circuit. In September 2024, Kharb won successive titles at the Belgian and Polish Internationals, making a rapid climb in the rankings. She closed the year ranked in the 60–70 bracket, a sharp rise that reflected both form and confidence.

What distinguishes Kharb is her complete lack of hesitation. She attacks without fear, moves fluently across the court, and possesses a powerful smash that unsettles even experienced opponents. Chief National Coach Pullela Gopichand has highlighted her mental strength, particularly her ability to handle deciding matches—arguably the hardest skill for any young shuttler to master.

At just 18, time is firmly on Kharb’s side. With structured technical development and regular exposure to top-tier tournaments, she could realistically emerge as a major domestic force within the next two to three years.

Sindhu remains India’s strongest option at major championships due to her experience and temperament. However, fluctuating rankings and recurring fitness challenges underline the physical demands of the tour at her age.

Malvika Bansod could plausibly overtake Sindhu in the BWF rankings within the next 12–18 months if her upward trajectory continues. Yet rankings alone do not define leadership. Sindhu’s ability to peak at World Championships and Olympics something neither Malvika nor Kharb has yet demonstrated keeps her at the summit in terms of reliability on the biggest stages.

The most likely scenario is a transitional phase. Malvika challenges Sindhu’s ranking position in the short term, while Kharb develops into a top-30 player over the next two years. By the time the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics approach, the hierarchy may begin to shift more visibly.

Crucially, this rivalry exists within unprecedented depth. Seventeen Indian women currently feature in the world’s top 100, with players such as Aakarshi Kashyap, Ashmita Chaliha, and teenagers Unnati Hooda and Tanvi Sharma providing further competition.

PV Sindhu remains India’s number one not merely because of rankings, but because of her extraordinary body of work when it matters most. However, the landscape is evolving. Malvika Bansod stands as the present challenger; Anmol Kharb represents the future.

The transition will be measured, not abrupt but for the first time in years, the throne is no longer beyond reach.