New Delhi: India’s national badminton team put up a spirited fight but fell short against the China national badminton team, losing 3-2 in a closely-contested tie at the Thomas Cup 2026 on Wednesday.
India had already secured a place in the quarterfinals with earlier wins over Australia and Canada, and the narrow defeat is unlikely to impact its progression in the tournament currently underway at Horsens, Denmark.
Despite the defeat, India had its moments, with Ayush Shetty and H. S. Prannoy delivering strong performances in their singles matches.
Ayush provided a crucial boost by securing India’s first point in the third rubber. The youngster overcame World No. 15 Weng Hongyang 17-21, 21-13, 21-15 in a hard-fought match lasting around 70 minutes. Fresh off a bronze medal at the Asian Championships, Ayush showed resilience after dropping the opening game, according to reports.
Veteran shuttler Prannoy also impressed, winning his match against Lu Guangzu 20-22, 21-19, 21-11. However, his victory came after the tie had already been decided in China’s favour.
Earlier, India’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty narrowly lost a thrilling contest to Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang 13-21, 21-13, 24-26 in a match that stretched over an hour.
China had earlier taken control of the tie after Li Shifeng defeated Lakshya Sen 21-19, 8-21, 21-12 in the opening rubber.
