Historic wins in Satwik-Chirag's doubles badminton career: A timeline

The dynamic pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have gradually made a name for themselves in the badminton circuit in an emphatic fashion. From serving blistering smashes to delirious celebrations, the duo have made the sport more exciting and entertaining with their presence.

With their recent history-making run at the ongoing BWF World Championships 2022, The Bridge looks at some of the most historic wins of the duo throughout their career of being a doubles team:

BWF World Championships 2022 (Quarter-final)

After defeating the home team and reigning world champions Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi in the quarter-final, Satwik-Chirag confirmed the only Indian medal at the BWF World Championships 2022.

What makes this win more special is that the duo became the first men's doubles pair from India to secure a medal at the championships. It remains to be seen whether they win the semi-final, but this win will always be memorable for the shuttlers as they took out the second seeds and home favourites from Japan.

Thomas Cup 2022 (Men's doubles match in final)

Earlier this year, the Indian men's badminton team created another piece of history after winning a maiden gold medal at the Thomas Cup 2022. In the final, pegged against tournament favourites Indonesia, the doubles duo played a pivotal role in their claim for the title.

The Indian duo defeated Kevin Sanjaya and Muhammad Ahsan a.k.a The Daddies in the doubles match to give the team an important 2-0 lead in the final. Despite being massive underdogs and trailing in the beginning of the match-up, the Rankireddy-Shetty pair played one of their best games which turned out to be historic at the end.

Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 (Final)

The duo upgraded their 2018 Gold Coast silver medal to gold at the recent Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022. They recorded another 'first' under their name after the pair became the first Indian men's doubles team to win a gold at the CWG.

The Indians defeated English duo Ben Lane and Sean Mendy in straight games to script another historic moment.

India Open 2022 (Final)

The Indonesian pair of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan are a force to reckon win in men's doubles, and defeating them is certainly no mean feat. Satwik-Chirag did just that. They started 2022 with a title win at the India Open after they overcame three-time world champions in straight sets.

This title was a third in their BWF World Tour kitty, with the India Open win joining those in Hyderabad (2018) and Thailand (2019).

Thailand Open Super 500 2019 (Maiden title)

The duo, famously monikered as 'Sat-Chi' made their way to India's maiden Super 500 doubles title after winning the final in Thailand Open 2019. They defeated the then-world champions Li Jun Hui and Liu Yu Chen of China.

After winning the first game in the final, the Indians were handed a setback as the more experienced opponent got back into the match after winning the second game. However, what mattered in the end was who kept their cool the best.

Satwik and Chirag, indeed, kept their heads and guided themselves, and India, to the title.

TATA Open India International Challenge 2016 (Final)

Many say that this was the win that announced the duo to the world and served as a disclaimer that serial-winners in Satwik and Chirag were coming into the badminton world and shake things up for the better.

In 2016, still in their teenage years, the pair triumphed over their compatriots Arjun MR and Ramchandran Shlok in the final to clinch the title. That year was quite eventful for them as they racked up titles from the Mauritius International, India International Series, and Bangladesh International Series as well.