PV Sindhu leads 24-member Indian contingent at Australian Badminton Open 2026
New Delhi, June 8
Olympic medallist PV Sindhu will lead a 24-member Indian contingent at the 2026 Australian Badminton Open, which gets underway on Tuesday. The squad also features experienced campaigner HS Prannoy and rising star Ayush Shetty.
However, reigning men's singles champion Lakshya Sen will not return to defend the BWF Super 500 title he claimed last year. Former champion Kidambi Srikanth, who won the tournament in 2017, will also miss this year's edition, as per Olympics.com.
Sindhu will lead a sizeable contingent of eight in the women's singles draw at the Quaycentre, Olympic Boulevard, in Sydney.
In women's singles, Malvika Bansod, Anmol Kharb, Tanvi Sharma, Isharani Baruah, Aakarshi Kashyap and Tanya Hemnath have secured direct entry into the main draw, while Imad Farooqui Samiya will begin her campaign in the qualifying rounds.
Notably, India will have no representation in the women's doubles event at this year's Australian Badminton Open.
The men's doubles draw will also be without Asian Games gold medallists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. The star Indian pair pulled out after Satwik sustained a shoulder injury during the Indonesia Open last week, ruling them out of the Sydney tournament.
MR Arjun-Hariharan Amsakarunan will look to fill the void and continue their good run of form after reaching the quarter-finals in Jakarta.
Achutaditya Rao Doddavarapu and Arjun Reddy Pochana are set to compete in only their second BWF World Tour event of the season, having previously featured at the Orleans Masters earlier this year.
In men's singles, Ayush Shetty, HS Prannoy and Kiran George will spearhead a relatively depleted Indian challenge. All three suffered first-round exits at last week's Indonesia Open and will be eager to bounce back with stronger performances in Sydney.
India will also have three pairs in the mixed doubles competition. Dhruv Kapila and Olympian Tanisha Crasto lead the contingent, joined by Dhruv Rawat-Manisha Keer and the sibling duo of Mohit Jaglan and Lakshita Jaglan.
Australian Badminton Open 2026: India squad:
Men's singles: HS Prannoy, Ayush Shetty, Kiran George, Tharun Mannepalli, Saneeth Dayanand (Q), Manraj Singh (Q)
Men's doubles: MR Arjun-Hariharan Amsakarunan, Achutaditya Rao Doddavarapu-Arjun Reddy Pochana
Women's singles: PV Sindhu, Tanvi Sharma. Malvika Bansod, Isharani Baruah, Anmol Kharb, Aakarshi Kashyap, Tanya Hemnath, Imad Farooqui Samiya (Q)
Mixed doubles: Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto, Dhruv Rawat-Manisha Keer, Mohit Jaglan-Lakshita Jaglan.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, I'm disappointed we have no women's doubles pair. That used to be our strength with Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa. BAI needs to focus on developing doubles talent from grassroots level. Singles ke liye toh koi shortage nahi hai but doubles mein gap badh raha hai.
As an Indian living abroad, it's always proud moments when our players compete internationally. Sindhu's consistency is remarkable. Ayush Shetty shows promise too - hope the young guns can step up in Prannoy's shadow. Missing Lakshya this time though. 🏸🇮🇳
Why is BAI not sending full strength teams to Super 500 events? Injury concerns are understandable but we need to manage player workload better. Satwik getting injured during Indonesia Open shows the intense schedule. Also, where's Ashmita Chaliha? She deserves a chance too based on her domestic performances. Mixed doubles lineup looks promising though - Kapila-Crasto can make some noise.
So proud of our badminton talent! 24 members in a BWF event abroad is no small feat. Sindhu leading the charge gives me confidence, and I'm excited to see Tanvi Sharma and Isharani Baruah on the big stage. They've been doing well in domestic circuit. Archery aur shooting ke baad badminton ne bhi desh ka naam roshan kiya hai. Jai Hind! 🏸🇮🇳
I appreciate the depth in women's singles - 8 players is impressive. But we need to talk about men's doubles strategy. MR Ar
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.