New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) Focused on finishing on the podium in both men and women events, India will be fielding a strong team boasting of a former world champion and multiple world championship medallists in the forthcoming Badminton Asia Team Championships to be played in Qingdao, China, from February 3-8, 2026.

India are the defending champion in the women’s category, while the men’s team has collected two bronzes in the past.

Selected on the basis of ranking, performance, and experience, the women’s team will once again be led by former world champion and two-time Olympic medallist, PV Sindhu, while the core of the men’s team is made up of the squad that clinched the 2022 Thomas Cup crown, headlined by Lakshya Sen and the Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty pairing.

“Over the last few years, Indian teams have consistently been medal contenders at the Asian and World level, and this squad has the right mix of form and experience and is capable of challenging for the crown in both categories. I take this opportunity to wish them all the best for the championships,” said Badminton Association of India General Secretary, Sanjay Mishra.

World No. 13 Sen will be the top-ranked men’s singles player in the squad that also boasts of former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth, the experienced HS Prannoy, rising star and US Open champion Ayush Shetty, and Tharun Mannepalli. World championships bronze medallists Satwik-Chirag will be leading the doubles unit along with Guwahati Masters runners-up Sai Pratheek K. and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy, as well as Hariharan Amsakarunan.

In the women’s team, Sindhu will be supported by world junior championships silver medallist Tanvi Sharma, Unnati Hooda, Rakshita Sree Santhosh Ramraj, and Malvika Bansod in singles and Syed Modi International champions Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly in doubles. Priya Konjengbam, Shruti Mishra, and Tanisha Crasto complete the squad.

BATC 2026 India Teams:

Men: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, Kidambi Srikanth, Prannoy HS, Tharun Mannepalli, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy, Sai Pratheek K, Hariharan Amsakarunan

Women: PV Sindhu, Unnati Hooda, Tanvi Sharma, Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj, Malvika Bansod, Treesa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand, Priya Konjengbam, Shruti Mishra, Tanisha Crasto.

–IANS

bsk/