BWF World Championships 2026: Sindhu, Satwik-Chirag and Lakshya Lead India’s Home Challenge

The stage is set for one of the biggest badminton tournaments India has hosted in recent years, with the BWF World Championships 2026 returning to Indian soil after 17 years. 

As the tournament begins at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Monday, the spotlight will firmly be on the country's leading stars, with PV Sindhu, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty and Lakshya Sen carrying India's biggest medal hopes.

India has won at least one medal at every edition of the BWF World Championships since 2011, and the home edition provides an opportunity to extend that remarkable run. While Sindhu brings the experience of five previous World Championships medals, Satwik-Chirag enter the tournament as one of the world's leading men's doubles combinations. Lakshya Sen, meanwhile, will look to rediscover his best form on the biggest stage.

Yet, the opening day's most anticipated Indian match could belong to Ayush Shetty, who faces defending champion and world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi in his World Championships debut.

Few Indian players have a stronger connection with the World Championships than PV Sindhu. The 31-year-old remains India's most successful player in the history of the competition, having won one gold, two silver and two bronze medals. Her biggest achievement came in 2019, when she became the first Indian to win the women's singles world title.

However, Sindhu has not stood on the World Championships podium since that triumph. Seven years later, she arrives in New Delhi with renewed confidence following her Japan Open Super 750 title in July. The ninth seed begins her campaign against Ireland's world No. 141 Sofia Nobel in the Round of 64. A difficult path awaits, with third seed Wang Zhi Yi potentially standing between Sindhu and the quarterfinals.

For Sindhu, however, playing a World Championship on home soil adds another dimension.

"This world championship is very special for me because it is happening in India," she said, while acknowledging the boost provided by her Japan Open victory.

Having watched the 2009 World Championships from the stands in Hyderabad, Sindhu now has the opportunity to compete for the title in front of a home crowd.

Ayush Shetty faces defending champion

The day's most talked-about match will see Ayush Shetty take on Shi Yu Qi. For the 21-year-old Indian, it is a daunting opening assignment but also an opportunity to announce himself on the biggest stage. Shetty enters the tournament as the Asian Championships silver medallist and will make his World Championships debut in front of a home audience.

The challenge could hardly be tougher. Shi Yu Qi is the defending world champion and the world No. 1, while Shetty has lost all three of his previous meetings against the Chinese star. Yet Shetty believes the occasion itself will provide motivation.

"I would say it is the biggest tournament I have played so far," he said, describing the opportunity to compete at home as special.

Rather than viewing the draw as an obstacle, Shetty will have the chance to test himself against the defending champion from the opening match.

Lakshya Sen will begin his campaign on Tuesday against Austria's Collins Filimon. The Indian, who celebrated his 25th birthday on Sunday, has been handed a challenging draw. A potential pre-quarterfinal against second seed and former world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn awaits if both players progress.

Lakshya's experience at major tournaments will be important as India looks to add another men's singles medal to its World Championships record. With Ayush Shetty also in the draw, India's men's singles challenge has a blend of experience and emerging talent.

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In men's doubles, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will be among the leading Indian medal contenders. The Asian Games gold medallists have established themselves among the world's elite and will begin their campaign after receiving a first-round bye. Their experience, physicality and ability to handle high-pressure matches could prove crucial as India attempts to maintain its medal streak at the World Championships.

The duo will be expected to carry a significant portion of India's medal hopes, particularly given the home advantage and the atmosphere expected inside the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

Several other Indian combinations will also begin their campaigns on Monday. MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan will face Ireland's Scott Guildea and Paul Reynolds in men's doubles, while Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand take on Spain's Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez in women's doubles.

Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi will face Spain's Nikol Carulla and Carmen Maria Jimenez. In mixed doubles, Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh have been promoted into the draw and will face Turkey's Emre Sonmez and Yasemen Bektas.

The opening day therefore offers a mixture of experience, ambition and opportunity for the Indian contingent. For Sindhu, it is another chance to add to an extraordinary World Championships legacy. For Satwik-Chirag, it is an opportunity to challenge for the biggest prize in men's doubles. For Lakshya, it is another major test of his credentials.

And for Ayush Shetty, the tournament begins with perhaps the biggest challenge of all.

The World Championships are finally back in India. The home crowd now waits to see whether India's established champions and emerging stars can turn that advantage into another memorable chapter in the country's badminton history.