New Delhi, September 7, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Fresh from their historic China Masters triumph, India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are using the 10-day window before the Asian Games to sharpen their game, improve their fitness and address the shortcomings that emerged at last month’s World Championships.
The reigning Asian Games champions insist they are not carrying any additional pressure despite entering the continental event as defending champions.
“No, not necessarily. I think we’ve played. This is going to be the third Asian Games. And I think we are used to the games, like playing at such big stages. So I think there’s no added pressure as such of playing a big event. But I think pressure is always there,” Chirag told IANS in a virtual interaction.
The World No. 5 pair wants to use the next 10 days to work on specific areas before travelling to Nagoya.
“We have 10 days of practice before we head to the Asian Games, and we want to go out there and give it our best. So before we take that flight to Nagoya, we want to practise all the shortcomings and improve on things we want to improve on,” Chirag said.
Satwik and Chirag secured their 10th BWF World Tour title by overcoming China’s He and Ren 11-21, 21-13, 21-17 in a 70-minute China Masters final on Sunday.
The comeback victory was particularly significant after the Indian pair had finished runners-up at the China Masters in 2023 and 2025 and reached the semifinals in 2024. They became the first Indian men’s doubles pair to win the tournament since its inception in 2005.
The title also provided a timely confidence boost after their quarterfinal exit at the BWF World Championships in New Delhi last month.
“It definitely gives us a huge confidence boost going into the Asian Games, especially after having a tough few months being away from the court,” the pair said. “It gives us a boost that, yes, the thing that we are doing is actually working. And we’ve got some really good match practice as well.”
The China Masters title was their third World Tour final of 2026. They finished runners-up at the Thailand Open in May before winning the Singapore Open later that month.
For Satwik and Chirag, one of the key concerns following the World Championships was their physical condition. Satwik said their bodies had settled better during the China Masters after the limited court time they had before the World Championships.
“We became much better after the World Championship. We got time; we got adjusted,” Satwik said, adding that the demanding week in China gave them confidence about their ability to handle the physical load.
Chirag pointed out that the World Championships came after a lengthy break and that they had limited match time before facing a tough quarterfinal against the Chinese.
“At the World Championships, we didn’t really get a lot of court time as such. Especially going into a tough match in the quarterfinals against the Chinese. And we were playing a tournament after almost three odd months,” he said.
In contrast, the duo played five matches in China and were taken to three games in four of them. Chirag said their bodies responded much better despite the intense schedule, which he described as an encouraging sign ahead of the Asian Games.
The pair also worked on lessons from the World Championships, particularly the need for patience while attacking and greater trust in their defence.
“I think one of the major things that we incorporated from the World Championships is to be patient while we are attacking and to trust our defence,” Chirag said.
He added that they avoided rushing to finish points when opponents lifted the shuttle and remained committed to their tactics even when matches were not going according to plan.
Satwik, meanwhile, said their World Championships campaign had shown they could compete at the highest level even without being at full physical strength.
“From the World Championships, I think the takeaway would be like, even without our A weapons, we kind of played at a high level,” he said, adding that reaching the quarterfinals despite not being fully fit provided significant confidence.
Another area of improvement was tactical adaptability. At the China Masters, the Indians encountered opponents with contrasting styles, forcing them to adjust their approach from match to match.
Chirag said the pair analysed each opponent carefully and discussed the tactics required to counter different playing styles. Their preparation also included reviewing what had gone wrong at the World Championships from psychological and technical perspectives.
“We were able to address them and correct them quite well at the China Masters,” he said.
The demanding China Masters week also served as an important physical test. Satwik said the pair had to assess their condition each day, particularly after late matches and limited recovery time.
Despite the workload, they did not experience any negative signs and remained focused on their own game rather than their opponents.
In the final, the Chinese pair made a flying start, racing to a 5-0 lead and taking an 11-5 advantage at the interval. Satwik and Chirag struggled to settle and eventually dropped the opening game 11-21 in 18 minutes.
The Indians responded strongly in the second game. After China moved 2-0 ahead, Satwik and Chirag fought back to level at 3-3 and 6-6 before taking control and forcing a decider.
The third game remained competitive, but the Indian pair maintained their composure to complete the comeback and lift the title.
Chirag said the five-match campaign had further strengthened their belief in their physical readiness.
“Playing five back-to-back matches is definitely not easy, especially if you’re playing three games. And I think each day when we were playing those matches, we sort of grew in confidence that yes, our bodies can cope quite well,” he said.
The Asian Games champions will now turn their attention to the final 10 days of preparation, with fitness, tactical refinement and correcting their remaining shortcomings the priorities before they travel to Nagoya.
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