Top Indian Doubles Pair Satwik-Chirag Pull Out of Sudirman Cup Finals Due to Illness

India suffered a blow to their Sudiram Cup Finals 2025 quest after top men's doubles badminton duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty withdrew from the tournament due to illness, as per an announcement from the Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Monday (April 21).

BAI Media took to their official X handle to announce that the star duo will miss the competition with no replacements being added to the Indian squad for the tournament which is scheduled get under way on Sunday (April 27).

"Men's Doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty have withdrawn from the BWF Sudirman Cup Finals 2025 due to illness. No replacements will be added to the squad," said a X post from BAI Media.

Earlier this year, the Indian duo Satwik-Chirag had made it to the quarterfinals of the Badminton Asia Championships, semifinals of the India Open and semifinals of the Malaysia Open.

BWF Sudirman Cup Finals 2025 will be played in Xiamen, China, from April 27-May 4. India qualified for the prestigious mixed team championships based on their world ranking.

It will be eyeing to first seal their knock-out berth from a tough Group D line-up that also includes former champions Indonesia, two-time runners-up Denmark, and the formidable England.

Team morale is high following a strong showing at the recently concluded Badminton Asia Championships, where PV Sindhu gained valuable match practice, while the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto impressed by reaching the quarterfinals.

Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy, both known for delivering strong performances in team events, will bring invaluable experience to the team. Former national champion Anupama Upadhayaya, ranked 45th in the world, will be the second women's singles player in the squad.

Additionally, the young pairing of Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra is also in the mix after injuries ruled out India's top-ranked women's doubles combination of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly.

In Satwik and Chirag's absence, Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Kumar R, who have represented India on the recent BWF World Tour, is likely to take responsibility in the men's doubles with Dhruv Kapila and Sathish Kumar Karunakaran, also in the mix. Here is India's updated squad:

India Squad for Sudirman Cup

Men: Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, Hariharan Amsakarunan, Ruban Kumar R, Dhruv Kapila, Sathish Kumar Karunakaran.
Women: PV Sindhu, Anupama Upadhyaya, Tanisha Crasto, Priya Konjengbam, Shruti Mishra, Aadya Variyath.