India teams eye strong start at world table tennis championships

India’s men’s and women’s table tennis teams enter the 2026 World Team Championships in London with favourable group draws but face pressure to perform, especially in the absence of Sharath Kamal, as only group winners get direct qualification

Hyderabad: With London set to host the centenary celebrations of the International Table Tennis Federation, India’s men’s and women’s teams head into the 2026 World Team Championships carrying a familiar mix of promise and pressure, along with the unmistakable void left by Achanta Sharath Kamal, who called time on a decorated career last year.

Placed in Group 7, the Indian men’s team, featuring Manav Thakkar (WR No. 38), G Sathiyan (42), Manush Shah (51), Harmeet Desai (80) and Payas Jain (127), will start as clear favourites against Slovakia, Tunisia and Guatemala. On paper, the rankings tilt heavily in India’s favour, particularly against a Slovak line-up led by Lubomir Pistej (149) and Yang Wang (184). Yet, the absence of Sharath Kamal’s experience in crunch ties could test India’s composure, especially in tight five-match encounters.

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The women’s team finds itself in Group 6 alongside Ukraine, Uganda and Rwanda. Led by Manika Batra (WR No. 49), India also fields Yashaswini Ghorpade (88), Diya Chitale (92), Sutirtha Mukherjee (120), she replaced Sreeja Akula, and Syndrela Das (175), the youngest Indian to play at the worlds. Ukraine, spearheaded by Margaryta Pesotska (51), presents a more tangible threat here, making the group a closer contest than the men’s draw.

In the 2024 edition in Busan, both teams advanced to the knockout stage but exited in the Round of 32. The women’s team impressed with a second-place group finish that included narrow wins over Hungary and Spain, while pushing China in a close 2-3 loss. The men, meanwhile, showed resilience with wins over Chile and Kazakhstan but faltered against stronger opposition, going down 0-3 to South Korea in the knockouts.

The format in London raises the stakes further. Only group winners are guaranteed direct entry into the main draw, while second-placed teams face a complicated qualification route based on match ratios or even a preliminary knockout. This makes topping the group not just desirable, but almost essential.

For the men, depth remains a strong suit. Sathiyan and Thakkar bring consistency, while Manush Shah’s upward trajectory adds firepower. However, the lack of a seasoned anchor like Sharath Kamal could be felt in high-pressure deciders. The women’s side, on the other hand, appears more balanced than before, with Manika’s big-match temperament complemented by a young core gaining international exposure.