Badminton World Championships: Can Kidambi Srikanth tame Axelsen-slayer Loh Kean Yew? - Preview, Where to watch, live stream and more

Making a roaring and triumphant comeback, former World No. 1 badminton star Kidambi Srikanth has displayed a marvelous form over the last couple of months and the fact that he made history by becoming the first Indian man to enter the finals of the BWF World Championships, is only expected, given his performances. With only quarter-final finishes previously at the grand stage of the BWF World Championships, Srikanth took a few strides further in the event and will be aiming for the gold medal and the World Champion crown as he takes on Singaporean talent Loh Kean Yew, who made the biggest upset at the World Championships by ousting World No. 1 and Olympic gold medallist Viktor Axelsen in the opening match, 21-14, 21-9, 21-6.

While Srikanth has become the first Indian male shuttler to reach the summit clash of the Badminton World Championships, Loh Kean Yew, ranked 22nd in the world is also a first-timer from Singapore in the finals of the Championships - and history awaits creation as the two get ready to lock horns. The past few months saw Kidambi Srikanth delivering solid performances and only losing with marginal differences against the best's of the business and as far as cosistency goes, Kidambi Srikanth has found his groove back again.

At Huelva, Spain where the World Championships are being held, Srikanth has shown the mettle he is made out of as he took on Chinese players Li Shi Feng, Lu Guang Zu, Netherland's Mark Caljouw and all-importantly went past a blazing Lakshya Sen in the semi-finals.

On the other hand, Loh Kean Yew, just 24 years of age and considerably ranked lower than Srikanth, who is the World No. 14, has been on a giant-killing spree having defeated Viktor Axelsen and overcame the hurdle of facing another Dane - World No. 3 Anders Antonsen in the semi-finals by winning comprehensively, 21-23, 14-21. Coming into the match against Srikanth therefore, Yew will be on a confidence high for sure, having taken out the top seeds single-handedly.

However, Srikanth and Loh Kean Yew have met previously and on that lone occasion, Srikanth had the last word. It was at the 2018 Commonwealth Games where Srikanth was enjoying one more of such inspired spells and was practically invincible, like he has started to look once again. Soon after defeating the Singaporean in straight games, 21-17, 21-14, Srikanth had gone on to climb to the perch of the BWF rankings and occupy the top spot. The years have rolled in between that and Yew has also improved as a player and therefore, the 28-year-old Srikanth will have to be super careful around the tricky shot-player from Singapore but it will assuredly be a blockbuster clash as history is impatient to unfurl itself. We can easily expect a thriller and this match to go down right to the nail given how in-form both players are and the battle for the crown will be fierce.

Here's all you need to know:

Tournament: TotalEnergies BWF World Championships 2021

Time: Not before 6:30 PM IST

Fixture: Kidambi Srikanth [12] v Loh Kean Yew

Venue: Palacio de los Deportes Carolina Marín

Round: Men's Singles Finals - Gold medal match

Where to watch the BWF World Championships 2021?

The BWF World Championships 2021 is being telecasted live on Star Sports 3 and Star Sports 2 HD TV channels in India.

Where to live stream the BWF World Championships 2021?

The BWF World Championships 2021 can be live-streamed on the Disney+Hotstar app. You can also catch live updates here on the Bridge website.

When to watch the BWF World Championships 2021?

The final between Kidambi Srikanth and Loh Kean Yew will approximately begin from 6:30 PM IST, as the duo fight for the gold.