India’s star men’s doubles duo, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, signed off with a bronze medal at the BWF World Championships 2025 in Paris, after falling to China’s Liu Yi and Chen Bo Yang in a hard-fought semifinal.
The ninth-seeded pair, who had stunned World No. 2 Aaron Chia and Soo Wooi Yik in the quarterfinals, went down 19-21, 21-18, 12-21 in a high-intensity battle that lasted over an hour.
History for Indian Badminton
Despite the defeat, Satwik and Chirag made history by becoming the first Indian men’s doubles pair to win multiple World Championships medals, adding a second bronze to the one they claimed in 2022. Their medal also ensured India maintained its 14-year streak of winning at least one medal at the Worlds.
The pair’s run was India’s lone highlight in this edition after PV Sindhu’s quarterfinal exit and Dhruv Kapila–Tanisha Crasto’s near miss in mixed doubles.
The Match Breakdown
The Indians made a strong start, racing to a 9-3 lead in the opening game, but Liu and Chen clawed back with sharp serves and rallies to edge it 21-19.
Satwik and Chirag responded in the second game with aggressive play at the net, leveling the contest 21-18. But in the decider, the Chinese dominated from the start, surging to a 7-0 lead that left the Indians chasing throughout. They eventually closed out the match 21-12.
Speaking after the loss, Chirag admitted: “We didn’t get into rhythm. We gave away easy points in the third game. Credit to them, they served quite well.”
Satwik added: “They played with much more confidence. We did well in patches but not consistently.”
India’s Doubles Legacy Grows
This bronze is only the third World Championships medal for an Indian doubles pair, after Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa’s trailblazing bronze in 2011 and Satwik-Chirag’s own success in 2022.
While the semifinal defeat denied them a historic final appearance, their gritty campaign reaffirmed India’s rising stature in world badminton doubles.
Source: India Today | Image Source: PTI | Image Credit: Respective Owner
