Amid Sooryavanshi Buzz, Young Indian Shuttler Quietly Scripts History

2026-04-13 02:18:58

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Amid the buzz over the IPL's teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a young Indian shuttler's giant-killing spree at the Badminton Asian Championships has barely created a ripple in the cricket-obsessed India.

Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old opening batsman born in the nondescript town of Tajpur, Bihar, has made a mockery of the bowling reputations of Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, and Josh Hazlewood - three of the finest fast bowlers of the modern era - at the ongoing IPL.

Recommended For You

But rising Indian badminton star Ayush Shetty's story is no less inspiring.

Born in Sanoor, a small village in Karnataka, Shetty announced his arrival on the big stage by knocking out several top players to reach the final of the Badminton Asian Championships in China last week.

In the semifinal, the 20-year-old stunned world number one Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in an engrossing battle, 10-21, 21-19, 21-17.

The epic fightback against the Thai superstar followed his stunning wins over world number four Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in the quarterfinal, world number 20 Chi Yu-jen of Taiwan in the round of 16 and world number seven Li Shifeng of China in the round of 32.

Shetty may have lost the final to reigning world champion Shi Yuqi of China, but he became the first Indian shuttler since Dinesh Khanna in 1965 to reach the men's singles final of the Asian Championships - an incredible achievement from a youngster at an event where India's two top stars, PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen, suffered early exits.

Reaching the Asian final is as good as competing in the title-decider of the world championships and the Olympics, given the depth of talent.

Nine of the world's top 10 men's singles stars are Asians, while the women's singles top 10 is completely dominated by players from Asia.

Even before his Asian championships heroics, Shetty found an admirer in PV Sindhu, his legendary compatriot.

"I have consistently maintained that he is a generational talent. In terms of pure natural ability, he stands right up there with the very best young players I have come across,” Sindhu, the 2019 world champion and a two-time Olympic medallist, wrote on X.

“There is a prodigious level of talent in him, and it is something you immediately recognise when you see him on court. He has been training in my training group for the past three weeks along with coach Irwan, and this period has only reinforced my belief in his potential."

Currently ranked 25th in the world, Shetty has the all-around game to break into the top 10 of the world rankings soon.

"Physically, he has a strong presence on court. His height gives him excellent reach, and he already possesses a very deep, heavy smash that can put opponents under serious pressure,” Sindhu said.

“What also stands out is his defensive instinct. He stays very low, reads the shuttle well, and shows a natural ability to absorb pressure in rallies. Like any young athlete with immense potential, there are areas that will determine how far he ultimately goes.”

Shetty's greatest asset, according to Sindhu, is not his badminton skills.

"What has been particularly encouraging over these last three weeks is his attitude,” Sindhu said.

“He has trained with great seriousness alongside me, coach Irwan, and the extended team, and the early signs of progress are already beginning to show."

Sooryavanshi is making all the headlines now. But if Shetty produces another giant-killing run in the world championships later this year, the youngster could also become a household name in India.