Asian Games 2026 Badminton Schedule: PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen and Indian Stars Begin Medal Hunt

India will enter the badminton competition at the Asian Games 2026 with a strong and experienced contingent across team events, singles, doubles and mixed doubles. 

With Olympic medallists, former world champions and several emerging talents in the squad, the tournament offers India multiple opportunities to challenge for medals. The badminton action begins on September 20 with the women’s team competition, before the men’s team event gets underway a day later. The team events will provide the first major test for India, with the knockout stages leading into the individual competitions from September 25.

India’s women’s team begins its campaign on September 20 at 6:00 a.m. in the Round of 16. The squad features two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, alongside Unnati Hooda, Treesa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand, Kavipriya Selvam, Simran Singhi, Tanisha Crasto, Tanvi Sharma, Devika Sihag and Isharani Baruah.

The depth across singles and doubles gives India several options as the competition progresses. The women’s team will be looking to negotiate the opening knockout round before facing the quarterfinal challenge on September 22.

The women’s team quarterfinals are scheduled for September 22 at 6:00 a.m., followed by the semifinals on September 23 at the same time. The women’s team final will take place on September 24 from 6:00 a.m.

Lakshya Sen headlines men’s team

India’s men’s team begins its Asian Games 2026 campaign on September 21 at 6:00 a.m., with Lakshya Sen among the headline names. The squad also includes Ayush Shetty, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, M.R. Arjun, Hariharan Amsakarunan, H.S. Prannoy, Kidambri Srikanth, Tharun Mannepalli and Dhruv Kapila. The combination of singles specialists and established doubles partnerships makes the men’s team one of the major medal contenders in the competition.

The men’s team quarterfinals will be played on September 22 from 11:30 a.m., with the semifinals scheduled for September 23 at the same time. The men’s team final will follow on September 24 from 12:30 p.m.

With the team events concluding on September 24, attention will quickly shift towards the individual competitions.

The individual badminton events begin on September 25 with the singles Round of 64. In the men’s singles, Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty will begin their campaigns, while PV Sindhu and Unnati Hooda will represent India in the women’s singles. The day will also see India’s mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto begin their campaign in the Round of 32. From 12:30 p.m., the men’s doubles competition will feature the combinations of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, and M.R. Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan.

India’s women’s doubles pairs will also be in action, with Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, and Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi entering the Round of 32. The mixed doubles Round of 16 will also be held later that day.

September 26 brings a packed day of badminton, beginning at 6:00 a.m. with the men’s and women’s singles Round of 32. The singles Round of 16 and both doubles Round of 16 matches will follow from 12:30 p.m. The quarterfinal stage arrives on September 27, with the women’s doubles and mixed doubles quarterfinals beginning at 6:00 a.m. The men’s and women’s singles quarterfinals, along with the men’s doubles quarterfinals, are scheduled from 9:30 a.m.

By September 28, only the leading contenders will remain. The women’s doubles and mixed doubles semifinals begin at 6:00 a.m., while the men’s and women’s singles semifinals and men’s doubles semifinals are scheduled for 9:30 a.m. The tournament reaches its climax on September 29, when all four gold-medal matches will be played. The men’s and women’s singles finals, men’s doubles final, women’s doubles final and mixed doubles final will begin from 7:30 a.m.

For India, the Asian Games badminton campaign represents more than a chance to add to the medal tally. With established stars such as Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty alongside a new generation of Indian players, the tournament will test the country’s depth across every format. The team events will set the tone before the individual competitions provide opportunities for India’s leading singles and doubles combinations to make their mark. With nine days of competition packed into the schedule, badminton will be one of the key sports to follow throughout the Asian Games 2026.

Asian Games 2026 Badminton Schedule

September 20 — 6:00 a.m. onwards
Women’s Team Round of 16 — India: PV Sindhu, Unnati Hooda, Treesa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand, Kavipriya Selvam, Simran Singhi, Tanisha Crasto, Tanvi Sharma, Devika Sihag, Isharani Baruah

September 21 — 6:00 a.m. onwards
Men’s Team Round of 16 — India: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, M.R. Arjun, Hariharan Amsakarunan, H.S. Prannoy, Kidambri Srikanth, Tharun Mannepalli, Dhruv Kapila

September 22
6:00 a.m. — Women’s Team Quarterfinals
11:30 a.m. — Men’s Team Quarterfinals

September 23
6:00 a.m. — Women’s Team Semifinals
11:30 a.m. — Men’s Team Semifinals

September 24
6:00 a.m. — Women’s Team Final
12:30 p.m. — Men’s Team Final

September 25
6:00 a.m. — Men’s Singles Round of 64; Women’s Singles Round of 64; Mixed Doubles Round of 32
12:30 p.m. — Men’s Doubles Round of 32; Women’s Doubles Round of 32; Mixed Doubles Round of 16

September 26
6:00 a.m. — Men’s & Women’s Singles Round of 32
12:30 p.m. — Men’s & Women’s Singles Round of 16; Men’s & Women’s Doubles Round of 16

September 27
6:00 a.m. — Women’s Doubles & Mixed Doubles Quarterfinals
9:30 a.m. — Men’s & Women’s Singles Quarterfinals; Men’s Doubles Quarterfinals

September 28
6:00 a.m. — Women’s Doubles & Mixed Doubles Semifinals
9:30 a.m. — Men’s & Women’s Singles Semifinals; Men’s Doubles Semifinals

September 29 — 7:30 a.m. onwards
Men’s Singles Final, Women’s Singles Final, Men’s Doubles Final, Women’s Doubles Final and Mixed Doubles Final