Satwik-Chirag reach BWF Worlds pre-quarters without hitting a single shot: Here’s how

Sometimes, at a World Championship, you need a perfect smash. Sometimes, you don't even need to pick up a racket.

That was the rather unusual start to Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty's BWF World Championships campaign in New Delhi on Wednesday. The fifth-seeded Indians were scheduled to open their tournament against Scotland's Alexander Dunn and Adam Pringle.

Instead, the Scottish pair withdrew before the match.

No rallies. No booming Satwik serves. No Chirag interceptions at the net.

Just a walkover — and a place in the Round of 16.

The Badminton Association of India confirmed the development on social media, saying, "The Indian pair are through to the BWF World Championships 2026 pre-quarters after receiving a walkover." Dunn's withdrawal was reportedly due to an injury sustained during an earlier mixed-doubles match.

From a bye to the pre-quarters

Satwik and Chirag had already been handed a first-round bye as the fifth seeds.

Their first actual match was therefore supposed to be their second-round meeting with Dunn and Pringle. The Scottish pair, ranked outside the top 70 in men's doubles, had been drawn against them after coming through the opening stage of the draw.

That match never happened. Instead, the Indians have moved directly into the pre-quarterfinals, where they are set to face Indonesia's 12th-seeded Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin.

So their World Championships campaign has begun with something every player would probably take — extra rest.

But there is a catch.

The body gets a rest. The rhythm doesn't

For a doubles pair, especially one arriving at a major tournament on home soil, there is value in getting a match under your belt.

Satwik and Chirag will now have to switch straight from preparation mode to knockout mode. And the stakes are high. The Indian pair are chasing another medal at the World Championships after winning bronze in 2022 and 2025. A third podium finish would add another chapter to a partnership that has already delivered India's biggest men's doubles successes on the international stage.

This is also a home World Championships. India is hosting the tournament in New Delhi from August 17 to 23, returning the event to the country after a 17-year gap.

India has already had plenty to cheer about

Satwik and Chirag weren't the only Indians making progress on Wednesday. Earlier, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto booked their place in the mixed-doubles Round of 16 with a comfortable 21-11, 21-11 victory over Macau's Leong Iok Chon and Ng Weng Chi.

The previous day had also produced strong results for the hosts.

Lakshya Sen recovered from losing the opening game to defeat Austria's Collins Valentine Filimon 16-21, 21-8, 21-4 in the men's singles. Unnati Hooda beat Myanmar's Thet Htar Thuzar 22-20, 21-16, while Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand advanced in women's doubles.

There have been setbacks too. Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi were knocked out by Bulgaria's Stoeva sisters, while India's mixed-doubles campaign suffered defeats for Ashith Surya-Amrutha Pramuthesh and Ruthvika Gadde-Rohan Kapoor.

But for India's biggest men's doubles hopes, the equation is now wonderfully simple.

They are in the last 16. They haven't played a point yet. And the next time Satwik and Chirag walk onto court, there will be no easing into the tournament.

The World Championships, for them, finally begin now.

(With inputs from ANI)