Indian shuttlers made the return of the BWF World Championships to India after 17 years a memorable occasion as the first day of action saw all five participating Indians winning their matches, with Ayush Shetty’s heroic victory headlining action on Monday (August 17) at the Indira Gandhi Arena in New Delhi while PV Sindhu kickstarted her pursuit of a sixth medal with a win too.

Shetty’s victory over world No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yu Qi will go down as one of the greatest upsets in the competition’s rich history. On his debut in the World Championships, the 21-year-old kept his nerve to seal a three-set thriller. The Asian Championship silver medalist won the first set 21-14 before the 2025 gold medalist made a stunning comeback to win the second set 21-13. Shetty dominated the third set but had a few nervy moments as he lost five match points but ended up taking the decider 21-19 to seal the victory in a match that lasted 73 minutes.

As far as Sindhu is concerned, she dominated her game against Ireland’s unseeded Sophia Noble. The 2019 champion won the fixture in 29 minutes by a 21-7, 21-11 margin as she put on a show for the home fans to savour after walking out to loud cheers in what marked her first appearance on Indian soil in the mega event, where she has won a record five medals.

The day started with the unseeded men’s doubles pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun comfortably winning their Round of 64 clash. The Indian pair defeated Scott Guildea / Paul Reynolds 21-16, 6-4 in a match that lasted just 27 minutes before the Irishmen retired midway through the second set due to an injury.

Meanwhile, both of India’s women’s doubles pairs were in action and registered victories in straight sets against Spanish opponents. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela beat Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez 21-9, 21-13 on Court 1 in a match that finished in just 33 minutes. Later in the evening, in what was the last Indian involvement of the day, Kavipriya Selvam / Simran Singhi defeated Nikol Carulla / Carmen Maria Jimenez 22-20, 21-14 in a 46-minute clash. Intrestingly, Kavipriya and Simran showed nerves of steel in the first set as they were 17-20 and saved three set points.

Also Read: From No-Hopers To Superpowers: How Indian Badminton Transformed In 17 Years Between Hosting BWF World C’Ships

India Results On Day 1:

Hariharan Amsakarunan /MR Arjun defeat Scott Guildea / Paul Reynolds 21-16, 6-4 (retired) – Men’s Doubles

Treesa Jolly / Gayatri Gopichand Pullela beat Paula Lopez / Lucia Rodriguez 21-9, 21-13 – Women’s Doubles

PV Sindhu (9) beats Sophia Noble 21-7, 21-11 – Women’s Singles

Ayush Shetty beats Shi Yu Qi (1) 21-13, 13-21,21-19 – Men’s Singles

Kavipriya Selvam / Simran Singhi beat Nikol Carulla / Carmen Maria Jimenez 22-20, 21-14 – Women’s Doubles

Also Read: India At Badminton World Championships 2026 Day 2: Full Schedule, Players In Action, Match Timings

Meanwhile, there will be five Indian matches on the second day too. Among those who played on Day 1, only Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela will play again. Lakshya Sen and Unnati Hooda will be in focus as they kickstart their campaign.