Indian badminton endured a season of flux in 2025, marked by injuries, inconsistent elite performances and transitional churn, but individual success from Lakshya Sen, a World Championships medal in men’s doubles and a promising youth crop offered guarded optimism.
The year unfolded as one of recalibration rather than consolidation, with several senior shuttlers struggling to sustain momentum as fitness issues repeatedly disrupted preparation and competition schedules.
Against that backdrop, Lakshya Sen’s triumph at the Australian Open Super 500 stood out as India’s most significant singles achievement. The title marked his return to the winner’s circle after a challenging phase following his fourth-place finish at the Paris Olympics.
It was Sen’s first Super 500 crown since the Canada Open in 2023 and his first overall title since the Syed Modi International in December 2024. He also reached the Hong Kong Open final, narrowly missing out on a second trophy.
In men’s doubles, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty reaffirmed their status as India’s leading pair despite early-season injury and illness. The duo clinched a bronze medal at the World Championships in Paris, finished runners-up at the Hong Kong Open and China Masters, and created history by becoming the first Indian men’s doubles pair to reach the knockout stage of the BWF World Tour Finals.
Kidambi Srikanth showed signs of revival but remained without silverware. The former world No. 1 finished runner-up at the Malaysia Masters and the Syed Modi International, falling short of ending a prolonged title drought.
Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly provided rare continuity by successfully defending their women’s doubles title at the Syed Modi International.
Also read: Lakshya Sen, Satwik-Chirag enter Hong Kong Open finals
Youth offer hope
The most encouraging developments came from India’s emerging players. Ayush Shetty, 20, enjoyed a breakthrough season, winning the U.S. Open Super 300 and registering notable victories over Kodai Naraoka, Loh Kean Yew, Chou Tien Chen and Brian Yang.
Sixteen-year-old Tanvi Sharma emerged as one of the season’s standout performers, claiming silver at the World Junior Championships. She reached the U.S. Open final, defeated former world No. 1 Nozomi Okuhara at the Syed Modi International, and finished runner-up at the Guwahati Masters.
Unnati Hooda played a pivotal role in India’s bronze medal finish at the World Junior Team Championships before lifting the Odisha Masters Super 100 title, rising to world No. 23. Her win over PV Sindhu at the China Masters drew widespread attention.
Sanskar Saraswat’s maiden Super 100 title at the Guwahati Masters further highlighted the growing depth of domestic talent.
Senior struggles persist
For India’s established stars, however, 2025 proved largely frustrating. Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu managed three quarterfinal appearances but endured multiple early exits. A hamstring injury early in the season and a subsequent foot injury forced her to shut down her campaign from October.
HS Prannoy’s year was severely curtailed by lingering effects of chikungunya and recurring injuries, limiting training continuity and resulting in frequent early-round losses.
India’s challenges were also reflected in team events, with subdued outings at the Asia Mixed Team Championship and the Sudirman Cup.
Off court, chief national coach Pullela Gopichand sparked debate by highlighting the lack of alternative career pathways for athletes who fail to reach the elite level, remarks that divided opinion within the sporting community.
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