Indian shuttlers experienced a day of contrasting fortunes at the BWF World Championships 2026 at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, headlined by decisive second-round victories for former world champion PV Sindhu and India Open winner Ayush Shetty.
Sindhu, Ayush in BWF World Championships' 2nd round
Seeded ninth in the women's singles draw, Sindhu comfortably eliminated Canada's Zhang Wen Yu in straight games, 21-16, 21-17. In the men's singles event, Shetty required under half an hour to steamroll Sri Lanka's Dumindu Abeywickrama 21-8, 21-10, comfortably securing his place in the pre-quarterfinals.
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The host nation picked up further momentum across multiple disciplines as top-tier pairs advanced. World Championships two-time bronze medalists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty received a walkover directly into the next round after Scotland's Alexander Dunn sustained an injury, forcing him and partner Adam Pringle to withdraw. Meanwhile, the mixed doubles tandem of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto dominated Macao's Leong Lok Chong and Ng Weng Chi, dropping just 22 points in a 21-11, 21-11 triumph.
Despite these dominant performances, the Indian contingent suffered notable casualties as both Lakshya Sen and Unnati Hooda were eliminated after demanding three-game encounters. The day's action also delivered major international shocks outside the home setup, most notably the premature exit of Chinese Taipei’s reigning India Open titleholder Lin Chun-Yi, who fell to Denmark's Rasmus Gemke in the second round.
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Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty receive walkover
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty enjoyed an effortless route into the round of 16, advancing without having to step onto the court. The Scottish duo was forced to pull out of the second-round fixture due to an injury to Alexander Dunn, handing the two-time World Championships bronze medalists an automatic pass to the next stage.
In the mixed doubles event, 15th-seeded Indian pair Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto cruised through their second-round match with minimal opposition. Facing Macao's Leong Lok Chong and Ng Weng Chi, the Indian duo dominated from start to finish, locking up a clean sweep with matching 21-11 set scores to secure their spot in the next round.