India's top badminton players have received a challenging draw for the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi, with several leading contenders set to face difficult paths despite the advantage of competing at home.
India has four seeded entries in the tournament. Men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are seeded fifth, PV Sindhu is the ninth seed in women's singles, Lakshya Sen is seeded 14th in men's singles, while Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto are the 15th seeds in mixed doubles.
However, several of the country's medal hopefuls could run into some of the world's best players in the early knockout rounds.
Sindhu faces tough road
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu opens her campaign against Ireland's Sophia Noble. If she advances, she is projected to face third seed Wang Zhi Yi of China in the Round of 16, followed by a possible quarterfinal against Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani.
Sindhu has also been placed in the same half of the draw as reigning Olympic champion An Se Young, making her route to the latter stages particularly demanding.
Teenager Unnati Hooda will begin her maiden World Championships campaign against Myanmar's Thet Htar Thuzar. Should she progress beyond the third round, she could face Japan's Akane Yamaguchi in the quarterfinals.
Lakshya, Ayush face stiff challenges
Lakshya Sen starts against Austria's Collins Filimon in what appears to be a favourable opening-round match. However, the competition is expected to become significantly tougher as the tournament progresses.
If he advances deep into the competition, the 14th seed is projected to meet second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn. He could also come up against either France's Alex Lanier or Christo Popov in the quarterfinals.
Ayush Shetty has perhaps received the toughest opening-round draw among the Indian players. The unseeded youngster will take on world No. 1 and top seed Shi Yuqi of China in the Round of 64.
It will be the pair's third meeting this season, with Shi Yuqi holding a 3-0 head-to-head advantage. The Chinese star also defeated Ayush in the final of the Badminton Asia Championships earlier this year.
Doubles remains India's biggest hope
India's strongest medal prospects once again rest with Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
The fifth seeds have received a first-round bye and will begin directly in the Round of 32 against the winners of the Scotland versus Thailand clash.
If the draw unfolds according to the seedings, the Indian duo could meet either China's Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang or Denmark's Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen in a high-profile quarterfinal.
Mixed doubles pair Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto have also received a first-round bye. The 15th seeds, who reached the Singapore Open Super 750 semifinals earlier this year, will aim to make the most of home support in pursuit of a breakthrough result.
In women's doubles, the unseeded pairing of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will open their campaign against Spain's Paula Lopez and Luca Rodriguez.
With New Delhi hosting the BWF World Championships for the first time since 2009, India will be hoping home support boosts its medal prospects. However, difficult draws and potential early clashes against top-ranked opponents mean the journey to the podium is likely to be a challenging one.
India's opening-round matches
Men's Singles
Lakshya Sen (14) vs Collins Filimon (Austria)
Ayush Shetty vs Shi Yuqi (China, 1)
Women's Singles
PV Sindhu (9) vs Sophia Noble (Ireland)
Unnati Hooda vs Thet Htar Thuzar (Myanmar)
Men's Doubles
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy / Chirag Shetty (5) – Bye
Round of 32: vs winners of Scotland vs Thailand
Women's Doubles
Treesa Jolly / Gayatri Gopichand vs Paula Lopez / Luca Rodriguez (Spain)
Mixed Doubles
Dhruv Kapila / Tanisha Crasto (15) – Bye
