Badminton: Satwik-Chirag pull out of 2025 Sudirman Cup

In a major blow to India, the badminton men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty pulled out from the upcoming 2025 Sudirman Cup on Monday.

"Satwik-Chirag ruled out of BWF Sudirman Cup Finals 2025 due to sickness," the Badminton Association of India revealed in an Instagram story.

The former world No 1 duo joins the women's doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand as the second pair of shuttlers to withdraw from the prestigious competition.

In the absence of Satwik-Chirag, Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi will form India's first-choice men's doubles pair.

Satwik-Chirag were last seen in action at the All England Open Super 1000 last month. They have since been missing in action and had even pulled out of the Badminton Asia Championships.

The 2025 Sudirman Cup is slated to be held in Xiamen, China from 27 April, 2025 to 4 May, 2025.

India have been drawn in Group D for the competition along with Indonesia, Denmark, and England.

India have never finished on the podium at the Sudirman Cup. Their best ever performance in the event remains the quarter-final finishes in 2011 and 2017.

In the previous edition, India had failed to advance to the knockout rounds after falling to losses against Malaysia and Chinese Taipei in the group stage.