World No. 6 Lakshya Sen provided India with the much-needed winning start.
The Indian men’s team produced a brilliant display to beat Chinese Taipei and storm into the semifinals of the Thomas & Uber Cup 2026 in Horsens, Denmark, on Friday. What made the victory even more emphatic was the manner in which India overcame a strong Taipei side featuring several world-class opponents.
The 2022 champions, India will now face the winner of the quarterfinal between France and Japan.
World No. 6 Lakshya Sen provided India with the much-needed winning start. He saved two match points to defeat Chou Tien Chen 18-21, 22-20, 21-17 in a marathon 78-minute battle. The contest swung from end to end, but Lakshya dug deep, putting pressure back on the seasoned Tien Chen. His victory gave the Indian team the belief that they could see it through.
Taking the court after Lakshya’s gallant effort, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty made it 2-0, beating Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin 23-21, 19-21, 21-12 in another see-saw encounter. The Indian pair held their nerve in the crucial moments to win the decider.
Young Ayush Shetty, the Asian Championships silver medallist, then raised his level to stun All England champion Lin Chun-Yi 21-16, 21-17 in 48 minutes. Shetty has been a revelation this season and showed remarkable big-match temperament, clinically dismantling the left-handed Chun-Yi’s attack with a smart tactical game plan. He was brilliant at the net and attacked with flair. The Indian bench rushed onto the court in celebration as Shetty sealed the win.
EOM
