The Indian team certainly has the potential to go deep in the competition, says former international and coach U Vimal Kumar
The Indian men’s team will be high on confidence as they take on Chinese Taipei in the quarter-finals of the Thomas Cup in Horsens, Denmark, on Friday.
The Indian team gave a good account of themselves in the match against formidable China, losing 2-3, and that has set the stage for an exciting clash in the quarters. India won the prestigious world team championships in 2022.
A lot will depend on India’s top two singles players, Lakshya Sen, who has been in great form, having reached the finals of the All England Championships last month, and rising star Ayush Shetty, who pulled off a brilliant victory against China’s Weng Hong Yang in the second singles.
The two seasoned campaigners, HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth, who were part of the 2022 winning campaign, have been sharing the responsibility of third singles, and it remains to be seen who will be fielded against Chinese Taipei.
Prannoy showed that he still has the fire in him as he beat China’s Lu Guang Zu in three games, giving a much-needed morale boost to the Indian camp.
The doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty narrowly lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang. The second doubles pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun have won two of the three matches they have played so far.
India will have to play out of their skin to win. U Vimal Kumar, who was part of India’s coaching group when they became champions in 2022, says the team can beat Chinese Taipei.
“They were very impressive against China. If our singles players click together, and Satwik–Chirag deliver as they can, we have every chance to turn it our way. We went down 3–2 to China in a gruelling six-hour battle, but there are plenty of positives to take forward. Performances like that build belief,” Vimal told sportsbackstory.com.
“Ayush put up a terrific display against China. What stood out most was his composure in the crucial stages—handling pressure with maturity beyond his years. Some of the deceptive net shots he produced at key moments were truly outstanding,” he said.
“Lakshya was also very close against Li Shi Feng. He had his chances in the first game, and with a bit more control at key moments, it could have gone his way. Satwik and Chirag too fought hard in a tight contest and showed their quality despite the narrow loss. “Prannoy was also very impressive. In fact, he could easily have wrapped it up in straight games. This is the sharpest he’s looked in quite some time. It’s a great sign for the team,” said the former international.
“As we head into the knockouts, Lakshya has the ability to give us a strong start, and this team certainly has the potential to go deep in the competition.”
France is new powerhouse
France has delivered a stunner, beating 14-time champions Indonesia 4-1 in Group D that has sent them crashing out of the tournament. France will take on Japan in the quarterfinals. China will fight against Malaysia, while Thailand will meet hosts Denmark.
“It’s a seismic moment for our sport,” is how Vimal described Indonesia’s ouster on X. “For the first time in the history of the Thomas Cup, Indonesia—the very heartbeat of world badminton—has failed to reach the quarterfinals. This isn’t just an upset. This is like Brazil or Argentina crashing out before the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup. Unthinkable. Until now.”
EOM
