Sindhu and Sen are the face of India’s effort at the Aichi-Nagoya games. The roster we have been shown has a certain winning quality to it, from the veterans to the ones who are moving up fast. We are talking about a well-rounded group with the kind of upside you want when it comes to the big time.
According to the Badminton Association of India, the selection panel has been looking at how things have gone in recent times, both at home and abroad, as well as the BWF standings up to May 26, 2026. It is a no-nonsense way of going about it, in line with what India is after: turning the kind of form we see now into some hardware on the continental stage.
The ones who make it happen
Then you have PV Sindhu, with two Asian Games medals to her name, to hold down the fort for the women. On the men’s side, the doubles are in good hands with 2022 Asiad gold medallists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. All of this will be on display in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, between September 19 and October 4, 2026.
Lakshya Sen is number one in the men’s singles and he is leading a unit that has HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth in it. You will remember them from the silver-medal showing in Hangzhou last time around. Most of the lads who were part of the Thomas Cup bronze run earlier in the year are back as well.
What makes the selection stand out
This is where you see the pipeline. Ayush Shetty is in after a good showing at the Badminton Asia Championships, and he is not alone; you have Tanvi Sharma, a silver medallist at the World Juniors, and Unnati Hooda from the Team Championship.
“We are in a spot where it is not only the star power that is delivering, but the fact that we have more to offer in each category,” says BAI General Secretary Sanjay Mishra. “If you look at this squad, you see the mix of what we have built over time – the experience, the new blood and the depth.”
Some pairs with a bit of history
Hariharan Amsakarunan and M. R. Arjun are in good form for the men’s doubles; Arjun has been there before with the 2022 silver side. For the women, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand are your steady pair, with Simran Singhi and Kavipriya Selvam on hand to add some options.
On top of the usual suspects, we have Devika Sihag, fresh off a win at the Thailand Masters Super 300, and some like Isharani Baruah and Tharun Mannepalli who are worth watching. In mixed, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto are the ones to count on.
A record to live up to
India has some numbers behind us. Thirteen medals in all at the Asian Games, and a first-time gold in the last edition. The 2022 trip gave us a gold, a silver and a solo bronze from Prannoy.
Our best day ever was in New Delhi in 1982 with five bronzes. But with a little more heft in the ranks and better cover in the doubles, we have to at least be as good as we were in Hangzhou.
In a nutshell, here is what you need to know from the announcement:
– A well-proportioned women’s side with Sindhu at the helm
– Lakshya Sen running the show in men’s singles
– Satwik and Chirag for the doubles
– The Thomas Cup lot are still with us
– Some of the juniors have made the grade
Who is playing in Aichi-Nagoya
We will be in all five events at the Individual Championships. Sen and Shetty in the men’s; Sindhu and Hooda in the women’s. The men’s doubles field will have the Satwiksairaj-Chirag and Hariharan-Arjun combinations. Treesa and Gayatri, along with Kavipriya and Simran, are in for the women’s. And you will see Dhruv and Tanisha in the mixed.
From September 19 to October 4, 2026, the Asian Games will put us to the test. As Mishra would have it, we have the mettle to do well and put in a performance for the country.
