Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty fade as China expose India’s tournament fitness - The Indian Express

The takeaway from India’s Asian Games men’s team semifinal loss was something they have never traditionally been great at — maintaining fitness levels deep into a draw.

After a brilliant takedown of Japan in the quarters that ensured a bronze medal, both Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty couldn’t raise their levels against top Chinese, as India lost 3-1 to the serial title contenders.

Kidambi Srikanth in Hangzhou 2023, and Sen and Ayush this time, couldn’t maintain the momentum on big medal days. Pitted against a perfectly calibrated Chinese machine, Wednesday’s semifinal became a fade-out of energy less than 24 hours after the high-tempo Japan win.

Big medals require turning up dialled in on back-to-back knockout days. And Sen and Ayush simply looked spent against a higher-quality opponent with the short turnaround.

India’s Men’s Badminton Team signs off with a hard-fought bronze at #AsianGames2026!

Lakshya Sen (TOPS Core), Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty (TOPS Core), Ayush Shetty (TOPS Development), HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth, Tharun Mannapalli, Dhruv… pic.twitter.com/fuo8Oo1poa

With both singles lost, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s fantastic 21-11, 22-20 win over newly crowned world champions Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang remained that 1 point of resistance.

Sen has stepped up on big days before, notably beating Shi Yuqi at the 2022 Thomas Cup and 2023 Asian Games. But while the intensity of every rally was unforgiving – and Yuqi is a World No 1 of August vintage, also a Teams event beast – Sen also didn’t have enough in his fuel tank to push a decider. Against China, the straight sets loss came after the highs of downing Kodai Naraoka.

Sen defended well, worked the angles and produced a bunch of rousing winners. But the hard-fought points brought few returns, in the 21-16, 21-18 loss, as Yuqi was imperious in the net charge and rained down attacks more often than Sen could defend. Sen didn’t play badly, but he never looked like winning either.

Facing the world champions Liang-Wang next, Satwik-Chirag smoothly put down the hesitant Chinese, with the Chirag-attack keeping the shuttle buzzing and Satwik going for body smashes that kept the dangerous Wang Chang busy on the back court and away from the net. With the scores 1-1, Ayush Shetty formed the pivot taking on Li Shifeng.

Shi Yuqi is down to World No 6, and Li Shifeng has been low-key for a while, having plunged to No 12, but they seemed primed to peak at the Asian Games, and Shifeng got Ayush into one right tangle. Ayush played delectably at the net, and his smashes whistled, but he was left stranded at the backline as Shifeng sent high lifts and clears, testing his ability to connect the smash. Ayush fumbled, dumping them into the net, his arms appearing tired. And his chances at the net saw him linger too long and play less sharply, which meant Shifeng grew in confidence. The Indian imploded quite a bit to lose 21-19, 21-13. Ayush seemed patchy if not flat after yesterday’s exertions.

The team campaign will leave coaches scratching their heads: none of the five singles players fielded across the men’s and women’s knockouts won. The only wins came from Satwik-Chirag and Treesa-Gayatri in doubles.

For the 2022 Thomas Cup-winning squad that boasted of singles depth, India might seem in trouble in 2026 after this semis loss. At any rate, the ‘tournament fitness’ of back-to-back matches for Sen and Ayush left a lot to be desired. A second straight medal, an Asian Games team bronze, though, will be deservedly feted.

In the last-gasp second doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun played a spectacular mid-set against He Ji Ting and Liu Yi, whose coordination was quite off, as young Hari showed promise with his ‘Little Satwik’ style. But they were hammered in the last set, losing 17-21, 21-17, 21-9.

Doubles coach Tan Kim Her later came out and declared that Hari too showed dropping energy in the third, prompting the urgent need to work on his fitness. “Hari-Arjun tried their very best. First set was physically tough. But Hari’s energy dropped quite a bit. But we lost because of service and receive. But Hari’s energy dropped,” he stressed.

On the tie defeat, he reiterated that the Sen match was crucial. “Everyone gave their best. But the first match was important. That point from Lakshya. If he could’ve gone into the rubber game (decider) against Shi Yuqi, we stood a good chance. Unfortunately, he …but he tried his best. Satwik-Chirag were very good in how we managed to control the front play (front court). Chirag played well in front. Defending was solid. For singles, we expected Ayush to get a point. But it was the same. First set – had he won, everything could’ve been different.”

That was too many things not going right to dream of beating China at Asiad. India had lost 2-3 at the Team Asian Championships. In Nagoya, it was tamer.

Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More