Asian Games 2026: Tanisha Crasto-Dhruv Kapila, Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand Exit in Badminton Quarterfinals

India’s badminton medal hopes suffered a setback on September 27 as Tanisha Crasto-Dhruv Kapila and Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand both exited in the quarterfinals of their respective events at the Asian Games 2026.

While the mixed doubles pair of Tanisha and Dhruv pushed the world No. 1 Chinese combination of Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dongping to three games, Treesa and Gayatri struggled to find their rhythm against Malaysia’s Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan. The contrasting defeats brought an end to two of India’s important medal campaigns in badminton.

Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila entered their mixed doubles quarterfinal against China’s Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dongping knowing that victory would secure at least a bronze medal for India. The Chinese pair, however, immediately demonstrated why they occupy the top position in the world.

Feng and Huang controlled the opening game and moved into an 11-9 lead at the mid-game interval. After the break, they pulled away from the Indian pair and eventually closed out the game 21-14. India needed a response, and Tanisha and Dhruv delivered.

The Indians stayed within touching distance throughout the second game and eventually managed to take control of the crucial exchanges. They secured the game 21-18, forcing a deciding third game and giving themselves another opportunity to challenge the top seeds.

The momentum remained with the Chinese pair at the beginning of the decider. Feng and Huang established a 12-6 advantage, putting the Indians under considerable pressure. Tanisha and Dhruv, however, refused to go away. They gradually reduced the deficit and moved to within two points, keeping the contest alive. The Indians eventually came as close as 16-17, but the world No. 1 pair held their nerve in the closing stages.

Feng and Huang won the deciding game 21-18 to complete a 21-14, 18-21, 21-18 victory. For Tanisha and Dhruv, the result ended a creditable mixed doubles campaign. Having beaten a world No. 10 pair a day earlier, they were unable to produce another upset against the top-ranked Chinese combination.

Treesa-Gayatri Fight Before Second-Game Collapse

India's women's doubles quarterfinal featured Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand against Malaysia's Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan. The Indians made a difficult start, falling five points behind early in the opening game. They responded strongly, however, fighting back to level the contest at 10-10. The Malaysians led 11-10 at the interval, but the Indian pair continued to remain competitive.

The game was level at 14-14 before Pearly and Thinaah produced a three-point run. Treesa and Gayatri fought back once again, reducing the deficit to 16-17 with an excellent drop winner from Treesa. The Malaysians then created four game points. India saved the first two, including one through a forced error and another after a Malaysian shot landed just inside the backline.

The third game point was converted when Gayatri missed a mid-court shot, handing Malaysia the opening game 21-18.

Treesa and Gayatri began the second game with a 3-0 lead, raising hopes of another comeback. Instead, Pearly and Thinaah responded with nine consecutive points, turning a 3-0 deficit into a 9-3 advantage. The Malaysian pair continued to apply pressure with their pace, repeatedly testing the Indian defence and forcing errors.

At the interval, Malaysia led 11-4, leaving India with a significant deficit to overcome. The gap continued to widen after the change of ends. The Malaysians extended their advantage to 18-8, with the Indian pair struggling to regain the control and rhythm they had shown during the opening game. Pearly and Thinaah eventually earned 12 match points at 20-8. India saved one, but a wild shank brought the contest to an end.

The Malaysians took the second game 21-9 to complete an 18-21, 9-21 victory.

The quarterfinal exits mean India will not have Tanisha-Dhruv or Treesa-Gayatri competing for medals in these two events. For Tanisha and Dhruv, there was plenty of encouragement in pushing the world No. 1 pair to a deciding game. Their ability to recover from losing the opening game and level the contest at 1-1 demonstrated their fighting spirit, even though the Chinese pair proved stronger in the final exchanges.

Treesa and Gayatri, meanwhile, were unable to sustain their first-game fightback and struggled significantly after the change of ends. The defeats leave India’s badminton campaign with mixed results at the Asian Games. While several players and pairs have produced notable wins during the tournament, the quarterfinal stage proved the end of the road for these two medal contenders.

For Tanisha-Dhruv, the 21-14, 18-21, 21-18 scoreline reflected a tightly contested battle against the world's top-ranked pair. For Treesa-Gayatri, the 18-21, 9-21 loss highlighted how quickly momentum can shift at the highest level.

Both Indian pairs can take credit for reaching the quarterfinal stage, but neither will now feature in the medal rounds.