The Badminton World Championships return to India after 17 years on Monday (August 17) as the Indira Gandhi Stadium in the national capital, New Delhi, hosts the mega event’s 2026 edition. The opening day will see several Indians, including young star Ayush Shetty and five-time medalist PV Sindhu, in action as the hosts aim to continue their run of winning at least one medal in each edition since 2011.

The highlight of the day will be Shetty’s debut outing in the World Championships as he faces World No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yu Qi, who hails from China. The 21-year-old has made a strong mark in his career already with a bronze medal in the Junior World Championships in 2023 and a silver medal in the Asian Championships earlier this year. He was also part of the Indian team, which secured the bronze in the 2026 Thomas Cup.

Sindhu, who is the 9th seed and looking to win an unprecedented sixth medal in the competition’s history, will kickstart her campaign against unseeded Sophia Noble of Ireland. Meanwhile, both Indian women’s doubles pairs will be in action. However, the day will start with Hariharan Amsakarunan and M.R Arjun in the men’s doubles.

All Indians who are in action on the first day of action will play their matches on Court No. 1.

India at Badminton World Championships 2026 – Day 1 Schedule (All Matches On Court 1)

12:20 PM IST* — Hariharan Amsakarunan / MR Arjun vs Scott Guildea / Paul Reynolds – Men’s Doubles Round of 65

4:30 PM IST* — Treesa Jolly / Gayatri Gopichand Pullela vs Paula Lopez / Lucia Rodriguez – Women’s Doubles Round of 64

5:20 PM IST* — PV Sindhu vs Sophia Noble – Women’s Singles Round of 64

6:10 PM IST* — Ayush Shetty vs Shi Yu Qi – Men’s Singles Round of 64

7:00 PM IST *— Kavipriya Selvam / Simran Singhi vs Nikol Carulla / Carmen Maria Jimenez – Women’s Doubles Round of 64

*all start timings are estimated and depend on when the match before it on the court ends.