Sindhu, Lakshya to spearhead Indian challenge in BAC

PV Sindhu will return to competitive action as she leads India at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Qingdao from February 3–8, 2026. India, defending women’s champions, have announced strong squads featuring Lakshya Sen and Satwik-Chirag in the men’s lineup.

Hyderabad: Two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu, who withdrew in October this year from all remaining BWF Tour events in 2025 to focus on complete recovery from a foot injury that she sustained ahead of the European leg, will be back in action when she spearheads along with Lakshya Sen the Indian challenge in the Badminton Asia Team championship to be held in Qingdao (China) from February 3 to 8.

India are the defending champion in the women’s team event and will be looking to better their two bronze finishes in the men’s even._

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India will be fielding a strong team that boasts of a former world champion and multiple world championships medallist in the forthcoming Badminton Asia Team Championships to be played in Qingdao, China from February 3-8, 2026.

India are the defending champions in the women’s category, while the men’s team had collected two bronzes in the past.

Selected on the basis of ranking, performance, and experience, the women’s team will once again be led by former world champion and two-time Olympics medallist, PV Sindhu, while the core of the men’s team is made of the squad that clinched the 2022 Thomas Cup crown, headlined by Lakshya Sen and the Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty pairing.

“Over the last few years, Indian teams have consistently been medal contenders at the Asian and World level and this squad has the right mix of form and experience and is capable of challenging for the crown in both categories. I take this opportunity to wish them all the best for the championships,” *said Badminton Association of India General Secretary Sanjay Mishra.*

World no 13 Sen will be the top ranked men’s singles player in the squad that also boasts of former world no. 1 Kidambi Srikanth, the experienced HS Prannoy, rising star and US Open champion Ayush Shetty, and Tharun Mannepalli. World championships bronze medallists Satwik-Chirag will be leading the doubles unit along with Guwahati Masters runners-up Sai Pratheek K and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy, as well as Hariharan Amsakarunan.

In the women’s team, Sindhu will be supported by world junior championships silver medalist Tanvi Sharma, Unnati Hooda, Rakshita Sree Santhosh Ramraj and Malvika Bansod in singles and Syed Modi International champions Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly in doubles. Priya Konjengbam, Shruti Mishra, and Tanisha Crasto complete the squad.

The teams: Men: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, Kidambi Srikanth, Prannoy HS, Tharun Mannepalli, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy, Sai Pratheek K, Hariharan Amsakarunan

Women: PV Sindhu, Unnati Hooda, Tanvi Sharma, Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj, Malvika Bansod, Treesa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand, Priya Konjengbam, Shruti Mishra, Tanisha Crasto.