PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen to lead Indian badminton teams at Asian Games

Two-time Asian Games medalist PV Sindhu, 2022 Asian Games doubles gold medalists Satwiksiraj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will spearhead the composite Indian team for the Badminton Championships at the 20th Asian Games to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan from September 19 to October 4, 2026.

The Asian Games remain one of the most prestigious multi-sport competitions in the world and are among the highest honors in Asian sport, bringing together the continent’s best athletes in pursuit of national glory. The Badminton Association of India (BAI) selection committee has finalized the squad after reviewing recent performances in national and international tournaments along with BWF rankings as on 26 May 2026.

Led by India’s top men’s singles player Lakshya Sen, the squad also includes experienced HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth, who were part of the Indian men’s team’s historic silver medal run in the previous edition. The men’s contingent retains much of the core that secured the bronze medal at the BWF Thomas Cup earlier this year.

World Badminton Championship silver medalist Ayush Shetty, Asian Badminton World Championship silver medalist Ayush Shetty, BWF World Junior Singles silver medalist Tanvi Sharma and Team Championship medalist Unnati Hooda also earned selection after a string of impressive performances on the international circuit.

“Indian badminton is in a position today where success is not just about individual excellence, but the growing depth of talent across the categories. Over the past few months we have seen encouraging signs across all categories, Satwik-Chirag back to their best, Lakshya back in the world top 10, the men’s team achieving consistently with other younger players at the Thomas Cup and on the podium S. strong performances and important results internationally This team reflects this journey, a mix of experience, depth and emerging talent and we believe he has the quality and character to compete strongly at the Asian Games and make the country proud,” said Sanjay Mishra, BAI General Secretary.

INDIAN RECORD AT ASIAN GAMES

India head into Aichi-Nagoya with strong momentum in the event. Indian badminton has won 13 medals in the history of the Asian Games, including a breakthrough gold medal in the previous edition. The 2022 Games were India’s most successful badminton campaign, winning one gold, one silver and one individual bronze thanks to Prannoy. India’s highest ever medal tally came at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, where the country won five bronze medals.

Cross-category combinations will also be introduced in the Indian team. The men’s doubles pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun arrive in strong form, with Arjun also taking away the experience of India’s men’s team silver campaign in 2022. The women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand continue to anchor India’s doubles challenge alongside the ever-rising Simranya Singhi and Selva Kaviprim. Thailand Masters Super 300 champion Devika Sihag and talents Isharani Baruah and Tharun Mannepalli further bolster India’s singles depth. Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto add quality and experience to the double setup.

At the Singles Championships, India will field representation in all five disciplines, with Sen and Shetty featuring in the men’s singles, while Sindhu and Hooda lead the women’s singles. Satwiksiraj-Chirag and Hariharan-Arjun will compete in men’s doubles, Treesa-Gayatri and Kavipriya-Simran will represent India in women’s doubles. India’s top mixed doubles pair Dhruv and Tanisha will be participating in the event XD.

ASIAN GAMES: INDIA’S BADMINTON SQUAD IN FULL

Team Championship

Men’s Team: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth, Tharun Mannepalli, Satwiksiraj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Hariharan Amsakarunan, MR Arjun, Dhruv Kapila

Women’s Team: PV Sindhu, Unnati Hooda, Devika Sihag, Tanvi Sharma, Isharani Baruah, Treesa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand Pullela, Kavipriya Selvam, Simran Singhi, Tanisha Crasto

Individual Championship

Men’s singles (WC): Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty

Women’s Singles (WS): PV Sindhu, Unnati Hooda

Men’s Doubles (MD): Satwiksiraj Rankireddy / Chirag Shetty; Hariharan Amsakarunan / MR Arjun

Women’s Doubles (WD): Treesa Jolly / Gayatri Gopichand Pullela; Kavipriya Selvam / Simran Singhi

Mixed Doubles (XD): Dhruv Kapila / Tanisha Crasto

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Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

13 Jun 2026 18:23 IST