India’s top men’s doubles badminton pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty delivered a commanding comeback performance to book their place in the final of the Thailand Open 2026 in Bangkok on Saturday.
Nicknamed the “Brothers of Destruction”, the world No. 4 duo defeated Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin 19-21, 22-20, 21-16 in a gripping semifinal that lasted 82 minutes, marking their first final appearance of the 2026 season.
The Indian pair had to recover after losing a tightly contested opening game. Despite trailing in the second game as well, Satwik and Chirag held their nerve at crucial moments, saving important points before edging ahead 22-20 to force a decider. Once momentum shifted, they took full control of the match with aggressive attacking play and sharp net exchanges.
Chirag Shetty eventually sealed the victory after a dramatic final point that saw a net cord delay the match finish by a fraction of a second, adding to the intensity of the contest.
The win also strengthened their head-to-head record against the Malaysian pair, marking their eighth career victory over them. The Indian duo will now face either Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin or China’s He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu in the final.
This marks Satwik and Chirag’s third Thailand Open final appearance overall, having previously won the title in 2019 and 2024. The result also signals a strong return to form after a mixed start to the season.
In a parallel development for Indian badminton, teenage shuttler Shriyanshi Valishetty continued her impressive run at the Baoji China Masters Super 100 tournament, reaching the women’s singles final after defeating reigning Junior World Champion Xu Wen Jing 21-13, 21-17.
The young Indian, fresh off her Mexico International Challenge title, has dropped just one game in the tournament so far and will now face either China’s Yuan or Thailand’s Nithiittikrai in the final.