The Indian men’s badminton team secured the second position in Group A at the Thomas & Uber Cup 2026 in Horsens, Denmark. Despite a valiant effort, they fell short against defending champions China in their final round-robin match. India had earlier defeated Canada and Australia, ensuring both teams a spot in the quarterfinals.
In the crucial face-off with China, Lakshya Sen and the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty had opportunities but stumbled in the decisive moments. Sen lost a close match to former All England champion Li Shi Feng, while Satwik-Chirag fought hard but succumbed to Liang Wei Kang and Wang Chang in a thrilling encounter.
Ayush Shetty contributed a point for India by staging a comeback victory against world number 15 Weng Hong Yang. However, the duo of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun couldn’t sustain the momentum, leading to India’s defeat against China. HS Prannoy salvaged a win for India by triumphing over Lu Guang Zu, as they now await the quarterfinal draw.
The Indian women’s team also faced China in their final Group A match, where they put up a spirited fight but suffered a 0-5 loss. Former world champion PV Sindhu, in a must-win situation, showcased a strong performance against world number 2 Wang Zhi Yi but eventually fell short in the decider.
