Beyond Saina and Sindhu: India’s New Badminton Wave Arrives

Every time badminton was discussed in India, the names that instinctively came up were Saina Nehwal and, in more recent years, PV Sindhu. But by the end of 2025, that familiar narrative is steadily shifting. A new generation is announcing itself, and the transition is no longer subtle.

Tanvi Sharma, known for her powerful smashes and aggressive approach, has built a strong reputation over the past year. The 16-year-old won silver in girls’ singles at the World Junior Championships, becoming only the second Indian woman after Saina to win a singles medal at the event. She also reached the final of the US Open Super 300, emerging as the youngest Indian to play a BWF World Tour final.

Eighteen-year-old Unnati Hooda grabbed attention with a stunning win over PV Sindhu at the China Open Super 1000, where she reached the quarterfinals. She claimed the Odisha Masters Super 100 title and, alongside teammates including Tanvi, secured bronze at the World Junior Team Championships. Unnati also made semifinal appearances at the Taipei Open Super 300 and the Syed Modi India International.

Another rising name is Malvika Bansod. After a strong run at the All England Open, she climbed to a career-high BWF ranking of 23, joining Saina and Sindhu among India’s top-25 ranked women in history. A knee injury at the Indonesia Open in June 2025 briefly halted her progress, but she is set to return at the India Open 2026.

Men at Work

Since the 2024 Paris Olympics, Lakshya Sen has been India’s poster boy in men’s singles. However, 2025 proved challenging, with repeated exits in knockout stages. He ended the year on a positive note with a title at the Australian Open Super 500, regaining confidence and momentum.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Ayush Shetty is steadily rising. After a short training stint with Viktor Axelsen, he clinched his maiden senior BWF World Tour title at the US Open Super 300. His consistent performances helped him break into the top 35 of the BWF rankings.

Double the Momentum

In women’s doubles, Kerala’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand continue to impress. The duo defended their Syed Modi International title in 2025 and became the first Indian doubles team to win a BWF World Tour title that year. With Gayatri back from injury, the pair looks stronger than ever.

In mixed doubles, Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila reached a career-high world ranking of 25, establishing themselves as India’s top-ranked pair. Semifinal and quarterfinal finishes at major tournaments underlined their consistency.

India’s celebrated men’s doubles duo, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, popularly known as SatChi, enjoyed a strong comeback in 2025. They reached the BWF World Tour Finals semifinals, won bronze at the World Championships, claimed the Thailand Open Super 500, and made deep runs at the China Masters and Denmark Open.

With promise across categories, Indian badminton appears to be in safe hands. As the India Open continues as a Super 750 event, the road to 2026 carries both expectation and belief.