BWF World Championships 2026 Day 2: Lakshya Sen, Unnati Hooda Lead India’s Charge in New Delhi
Lakshya Sen, Unnati Hooda and four Indian doubles pairs will be in action on Day 2 of the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi.
The BWF World Championships 2026 moves into its second day in New Delhi on Tuesday, with several Indian shuttlers beginning their campaigns at the Indira Gandhi Arena. The home crowd will have plenty to look forward to, with Lakshya Sen and Unnati Hooda leading India's challenge in the singles events.
India will also have strong representation in doubles, with two women's doubles and two mixed doubles combinations taking the court. With the tournament moving into the early rounds, every match carries significance as players look to progress through the draw and build momentum at one of badminton's biggest events.
For Lakshya Sen, Day 2 marks the beginning of his men's singles campaign. The 14th seed will face Austria's Collins Valentine Filimon in the Round of 64. Lakshya enters the tournament with considerable experience on the international stage and will be expected to handle the pressure of playing at home.
The men's singles event remains one of the major attractions for Indian fans, and Lakshya's campaign will be closely watched after his run to the bronze medal at the 2021 World Championships and a silver medal at the 2022 edition. He will be looking to make another deep run in New Delhi.
Before Lakshya takes the court, India's women's singles challenge gets underway through Unnati Hooda.
The 18-year-old will make her World Championships debut against Myanmar's Thet Htar Thuzar in the Round of 64. Unnati's inclusion gives India another major singles prospect to watch, with the teenager having already established herself among the world's leading young players.
Unnati has experienced both highs and setbacks during the 2026 season. She won the Polish Open, reached the semifinals of the Taipei Open and broke into the BWF women's singles top 20, becoming only the third Indian woman after Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu to achieve the feat.
Her World Championships debut therefore comes at an important stage of her development. The opening-round match against Thet Htar Thuzar presents an opportunity to settle quickly and adapt to the atmosphere of competing in front of a home crowd.
The doubles events will add further interest to India's Day 2 schedule.
In women's doubles, Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi will take on Bulgarian sisters Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva in the Round of 32. The Bulgarian pair brings significant international experience, making this a challenging assignment for the Indian combination.
Later in the evening, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will begin their campaign against the American combination of Lauren Lam and Allison Quynh Lee.
Treesa and Gayatri have emerged as one of India's leading women's doubles combinations in recent seasons and will be hoping to use the home conditions to their advantage. Their ability to maintain intensity and control rallies will be crucial as they look to advance.
The mixed doubles draw will see two Indian pairs in action.
Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Gadde will open their campaign against Canada's Jonathan Bing Tsan Lai and Crystal Lai. The Indian pair will be aiming for a strong start as they attempt to progress through the Round of 64.
Later, Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh will face Turkey's Emre Sonmez and Yasemen Bektas. The match gives the Indian combination an opportunity to make an early statement in a highly competitive mixed doubles field.
For the Indian contingent, Day 2 is about more than simply accumulating wins. With the World Championships being played at home, the players will have the advantage of familiar conditions and strong crowd support, but they will also carry the expectations that come with competing in front of Indian fans.
Lakshya's experience makes him one of India's most established medal contenders, while Unnati represents the next generation of Indian women's singles. In doubles, the performances of Treesa-Gayatri and the other combinations will be important in determining how strongly India can challenge across the different draws.
The day's schedule also provides fans with action spread across the morning and evening sessions. Unnati will be among the first Indian singles players on court, while Lakshya's men's singles opener comes later in the evening.
With six Indian pairings and singles players taking the court, Day 2 promises a packed schedule at the Indira Gandhi Arena.
India’s Schedule – BWF World Championships 2026, Day 2
10:40 AM — Mixed Doubles, R64
Rohan Kapoor/Ruthvika Gadde vs Jonathan Bing Tsan Lai/Crystal Lai (Canada) — Court 1
12:20 PM — Women’s Singles, R64
Unnati Hooda vs Thet Htar Thuzar (Myanmar) — Court 1
1:20 PM — Mixed Doubles, R64
Ashith Surya/Amrutha Pramuthesh vs Emre Sonmez/Yasemen Bektas (Türkiye) — Court 3
4:30 PM — Women’s Doubles, R32
Kavipriya Selvam/Simran Singhi vs Gabriela Stoeva/Stefani Stoeva (Bulgaria) — Court 2
5:20 PM — Women’s Doubles, R32
Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand vs Lauren Lam/Allison Quynh Lee (USA) — Court 1
6:10 PM — Men’s Singles, R64
Lakshya Sen (14) vs Collins Valentine Filimon (Austria) — Court 1
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