Indian Shuttlers Shine at BWF World Championships 2026

Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi kick off their BWF World Championships campaign with a straight-sets win over Spain's Nikol Carulla and Carmen Maria Jimenez. The Indian duo progresses to the Round of 32 amid a successful opening day for India. Notably, Ayush Shetty stuns top seed Shi Yu Qi.

In a promising start to the BWF World Championships 2026, Indian women's doubles pair Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi secured a straight-sets victory over Spain's Nikol Carulla and Carmen Maria Jimenez.

Playing at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, the Indian duo clinched the women's doubles Round of 64 with a score of 22-20, 21-14, paving their way to the next round of this prestigious event held on home turf.

The first game was a nail-biter, with both pairs struggling to gain a clear advantage. However, Kavipriya and Simran displayed resilience, eventually clinching the game 22-20. In the subsequent game, the Indian pair dominated, winning convincingly at 21-14. Looking forward, they will compete against Bulgarian sisters Gabriela and Stefani Stoeva in the Round of 32.

It was a broadly successful day for Indian participants, as other teams, including MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan, advanced after a set-back for the Irish pair Scott Guildea and Paul Reynolds due to injury. In another women's doubles event, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand triumphed over Spanish competitors.

PV Sindhu launched her women's singles bid with an assertive 21-7, 21-11 win against Ireland's Sophia Noble, setting her up to face Canada's Wen Yu Zhang. Displaying excellent form, Ayush Shetty caused a significant upset by defeating top seed Shi Yu Qi of China with scores of 21-14, 13-21, 21-19.

Hosted in New Delhi from August 17-23, this tournament marks the World Championships' return to India after 17 years. The Indian shuttlers have already made their mark, promising invigorating matches ahead.