A tough test awaits as veteran Indian shuttlers like PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy, and Lakshya Sen start their 2025 BWF World Championships campaign unseeded in Paris on Monday.
While Sen is drawn to go up against China’s world No 1 Shi Yu Qi in the very first round, Prannoy is expected to run into world No 2 and second seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark if he reaches the second round.
Sindhu, meanwhile, vying for her sixth World Championships medal – first since winning the women’s singles title in 2019 – will open her campaign against a lower-ranked Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova.
All three Indian singles shuttlers head into the competition after what has been a very forgettable season so far. The trio has struggled to find form since the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning just two titles between them in just over a year since – both Sindhu and Sen won the home event Syed Modi International Super 300 late last year.
Sen has faced seven first round exits in 2025 with his best performance recorded at the Macau Open Super 300, where he faced a semi-final exit.
Sindhu started the year well, reaching the quarter-finals of the India Open Super 750 in New Delhi but has since struggled for form. The World Championships will also mark Sindhu’s first competition since her shock loss at the hands of teenager Unnati Hooda at the 2025 China Open in July.
Prannoy, meanwhile, has lost 14 out of 19 matches in 2025 and has a dismal win rate of 26.31% this year. He is yet to reach a quarter-final since his loss to Sen at the Olympic quarters last year.
Can Satwik-Chirag end title drought?
With the path to glory in the singles discipline visibly daunting, the onus to lead India to a podium finish once again falls on the shoulders of men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
Rankireddy and Shetty, despite dominating the World Tour circuit throughout the last couple of seasons, have returned medalless from the last two badminton majors – 2023 World Championships and 2024 Olympic Games. They had lost out in the quarter-finals on both occasions.
Rankireddy and Shetty have been on and off the circuit over the last year, dealing with multiple injuries and working with a new coach after parting ways with Mathias Boe.
Despite the changes and injury struggles, they have been India’s most consistent players this season, reaching four semi-finals and two quarter-finals in 2025.
With 19 wins and 11 losses in 30 matches this season, Rankireddy and Shetty are the only Indians to have more wins than losses in 2025.
They are also only one of the two Indians to be seeded for the 2025 World Championships and receive a first-round bye. They might end up starting their campaign against fellow Indians and the second Indian men’s doubles pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi.
This is provided if Hariharan and Ruban win their first round match against Chinese Taipei’s Liu Kuang Heng and Yang Po Han.
Rankireddy and Shetty are then drawn to face Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China in the Round of 16. The Indians trail them 2-6 in head-to-head encounters.
If they surpass the Chinese hurdles, the former world No 1 pair from India might run into their age old nemesis Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia. It was Aaron and Soh, who ended Rankireddy-Shetty’s Olympic medals dreams in Paris last year.
Though a title win has eluded them since the Thailand Open Super 500 back in May 2024 and despite a tough road ahead, Rankireddy and Shetty still remain India’s best bet for a medal.
Elsewhere in mixed doubles, Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila are seeded 16th. They also have received a first round bye and will look to deeper into the tournament.
Since partnering up and playing together consistently, Crasto and Kapila have shown sparks of brilliance. A semi-final finish at the German Open Super 300 and quarter-final finishes at the Asian Championships and Malaysia Masters Super 500 remain their best performances this season.
While Crasto and Kapila could well reach the Round of 16, that’s where their real challenge will start with a potential clash lined up against world No 5 Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Sue.
The others in fray include Rohan Kapoor-Ruthvika Gadde in mixed doubles, Swetaparna Panda-Rutaparna Panda and Priya Mishra-Shruti Konjengbam in women’s doubles.
Indians squad for 2025 BWF World Championships
Men Singles: Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy
Women Singles: PV Sindhu
Men Doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, Hariharan Amsakarunan-Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi
Women Doubles: Rutaparna Panda-Swetaparna Panda, Priya Devi Konjengbam-Shruti Mishra
Mixed Doubles: Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto, Rohan Kapoor-Ruthvika Shivani
Where to Watch?
You can catch all the LIVE action from BWF World Championships on BWF’s official YouTube channel.
