Injury-hit India settle for Thomas Cup 2026 bronze after semifinal defeat to France
India’s impressive campaign at the Thomas Cup 2026 came to an end in the semifinals as the former champions went down 0-3 against a strong French side in Horsens, Denmark, on Friday.
Despite the defeat, India will return home with a bronze medal their second podium finish in Thomas Cup history after the historic title-winning run in 2022. However, the semifinal tie also highlighted how heavily India’s campaign had been impacted by the absence of Lakshya Sen, who was ruled out before the clash due to an elbow injury sustained during the quarterfinal against Chinese Taipei. Lakshya’s withdrawal significantly altered the balance of the tie.
India had entered the semifinals with momentum after producing one of their strongest performances of the tournament to defeat Chinese Taipei 3-0 in the quarterfinals. Lakshya himself had played a crucial role in that victory, fighting past Chou Tien Chen in a physically exhausting opening singles contest. But the intense nature of that match came at a cost.
According to the Indian team management, Lakshya suffered an impact injury to his elbow following multiple dives during the quarterfinal encounter. After evaluation by the medical staff, the decision was taken not to risk him in the semifinal. That immediately forced India into reshuffling their lineup against an in-form French team that had already emerged as one of the biggest stories of the tournament.
France, playing in their maiden Thomas Cup semifinal, had entered the last four after stunning Japan in the quarterfinals and arrived with enormous confidence built around their strong singles lineup led by the Popov brothers and rising star Alex Lanier. Without Lakshya available, India handed opening singles responsibility to 20-year-old Ayush Shetty.
The young Indian had enjoyed an excellent tournament until that point, remaining unbeaten during the group stages and delivering a superb performance against Lin Chun-Yi in the quarterfinals. But facing 2025 BWF World Tour Finals champion Christo Popov in a high-pressure semifinal proved a different challenge altogether. Popov controlled the match from the beginning with sharp attacking play and relentless pace from the backcourt. Ayush struggled to settle into rhythm as the Frenchman repeatedly targeted his movement and forced errors during long rallies.
The Indian showed flashes of aggression in patches, but Christo’s experience at the highest level became evident throughout the contest. The Frenchman eventually closed out a comfortable 21-11, 21-9 victory to hand France the opening point and immediately place India under pressure. The second singles then featured veteran Kidambi Srikanth against world No. 10 Alex Lanier.
Srikanth, brought into the lineup because of Lakshya’s absence, attempted to use his experience and variation to disrupt the young French star. There were moments when the Indian looked capable of pushing the contest deeper, especially during the second game when he stayed within touching distance for long periods. But Lanier’s consistency and physical sharpness ultimately proved decisive.
The Frenchman controlled the rallies with impressive composure, limiting Srikanth’s attacking opportunities while maintaining a steady pace from the baseline. He closed out the match 21-16, 21-18 to extend France’s lead to 2-0 and move them within one victory of the final.
That left India needing a win from HS Prannoy against Toma Junior Popov to keep the tie alive and bring the doubles combinations into play. India’s doubles strength, particularly through Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, had been viewed as a potential turning point if the tie extended further. But Prannoy could not quite produce the comeback India desperately needed. The experienced Indian started positively and competed strongly during the opening game, matching Popov shot for shot during several long exchanges. However, crucial points late in the game went the Frenchman’s way as Toma edged ahead 21-19.
That first-game loss shifted the momentum decisively.
Prannoy continued fighting hard in the second game, but the physical intensity and pace maintained by Popov gradually wore him down. The Frenchman controlled the decisive stages once again and completed a straight-games win at 21-16 to seal France’s historic passage into the Thomas Cup final. For India, the defeat brought disappointment but also perspective.
Considering the injury setback before the semifinal, reaching the podium still represents another significant achievement for Indian men’s badminton. The campaign also reinforced the growing depth within the squad, particularly through Ayush Shetty’s emergence during the tournament. At the same time, the semifinal exposed India’s continued dependence on Lakshya Sen in major team events. His absence forced a complete reshuffle of the singles order and significantly weakened India’s overall balance against a strong French lineup.
France, meanwhile, fully deserved their victory. The European side displayed outstanding discipline, tactical clarity and composure throughout the tie, underlining why they have rapidly become one of the strongest men’s badminton nations outside Asia.
India may have fallen short of another final, but a second Thomas Cup medal in four years confirms that the 2022 title-winning run was no isolated success.
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