The 2026 Badminton Asia Team Championship is around the corner, with the tournament scheduled to be held in Qingdao, China, from February 3 to 8. However, two days ahead, PV Sindhu has declared that she is withdrawing from the tournament. The reason remains unknown, but some reports suggest that the decision was taken due to health concerns. Indian women are placed in Group C of the Asian Team Championship along with Thailand and Myanmar.
Injury has kept Sindhu in a difficult spot as she has withdrawn her name from the Asian team tournament for the second time. Last year in the Mixed team Championship, she had to pull herself out of the tournament due to a hamstring injury. Having recovered well from that, she started her 2026 campaign with some valuable performances, including her semi-final run at the Malaysia Open on January 10, followed by her quarter-final entry in the Indonesia Masters on January 23. Meanwhile, in the India Open, Sindhu had to exit in the Round of 64 match after losing to Vietnam’s Nguyễn Thùy Linh by sets of 22-20, 12-21, 15-21.
With her exit, the women’s singles team, who are entering the competition as defending champions, won’t have the two-time Olympic medallist in the leadership role. The challenge now rests on the young talents like Unnati Hooda, Tanvi Sharma, Malvika Bansod, and Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj to lead the team in a successful run. On the other hand, they will be joined by the experienced women players as part of the doubles squad, including Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, alongside Priya Devi, Shruti Mishra and Tanisha Crasto.
Meanwhile, the Indian men’s singles team will have their young and emerging star, Lakshya Sen, leading the squad. The youngster had a promising run in his India Open and Indonesia Masters campaign. In both tournaments, he made it to the quarter-finals. In the Asian Team Championship, he will be joined by more experienced names like Ayush Shetty, Kidambi Srikanth, Prannoy HS, and Tharun Mannepalli.
The men’s double squad include notable pair-ups, including that of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, along with names like Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy, Sai Pratheek K, and Hariharan Amsakarunan.
Indian Squad in Badminton Asia Team Championship 2026
Women’s singles squad: Unnati Hooda, Tanvi Sharma, Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj, Malvika Bansod
Women’s doubles squad: Treesa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand, Priya Konjengbam, Shruti Mishra, Tanisha Crasto
Men’s singles squad: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, Kidambi Srikanth, Prannoy HS, Tharun Mannepalli
Men’s doubles squad: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy, Sai Pratheek K, Hariharan Amsakarunan
