A day after becoming the first Indian pair to win the China Masters title, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have now trained their sights on the Asian Games, where they defend the men’s doubles gold they won in 2023.The duo remain the only Indian shuttlers to have won gold at the Asian Games, but Chirag insists there is no added pressure to repeat that feat. “We want to go out there and do what we normally do on court. If we’re able to do that, I think we’ll go deep into the tournament, and that’s the only thing we want,” said Chirag during a virtual interaction arranged by the Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Monday.“We don’t want to think too much about the results. When we keep the results aside and take one match at a time, that’s when we play our best.”The Indians head into the Continental Games in ominous form, riding on their stirring victory in Shenzhen.Chirag believes the pair’s biggest challenges will come from two contrasting styles. He rated Korea’s Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae as the best defensive combination on the circuit, while world champions Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China remain the most potent attacking pair, albeit a notch below the Indians.“Apart from us, I think Liang and Wang are the best attacking players. When it comes to defence, it’s Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae,” Chirag said.He also acknowledged that his own defensive game still has room for improvement.“I’ve added a few new aspects to my defence, but there’s still a lot to be done,” he said.Kim and Seo, who won 11 titles last year, began 2026 in equally dominant fashion, claiming three successive titles before Satwik and Chirag ended their streak with a semifinal victory at the Singapore Open on May 31.Since then, the Korean world No. 1 pair has endured a lean spell, failing to win a title in their next six tournaments. Their slump also included a first round exit at the China Masters, where the Indians went on to lift the trophy.For Satwik and Chirag, however, the blueprint remains unchanged. Even if their trademark attacking game is neutralised, Satwik says there is no alternative approach. “It’s always Plan A – there’s no Plan B for us. But it depends on the opponents. It’s never easy. They don’t want to lift the shuttle to us either,” he said. “Whether it’s the Malaysians, Indonesians or even the Chinese, everyone wants to play fast and get into the attack rather than give us a target.“Satwik also underlined the importance of Chirag’s presence at the front of the court, saying his partner’s ability to create openings has made his finishing role considerably easier. “Chirag makes my job so much easier – he creates so many chances for me to finish,” he said.
