BWF World Championships 2026: Lakshya Sen, Unnati Hooda Lead India’s Day 2 Challenge

By Thetripurapost Desk, New Delhi
Aug 18, 2026
119

Six encounters involving Indian shuttlers are scheduled at the Badminton World Championships today.

Lakshya Sen begins his men’s singles campaign, while Unnati Hooda takes the court in the women’s singles draw. India will also feature in two women’s doubles contests and two mixed doubles ties.

India enjoyed an encouraging opening day, with PV Sindhu, Ayush Shetty and three Indian doubles combinations securing victories to move forward in the competition.

Lakshya Sen Begins His Campaign

Lakshya Sen is set to open his tournament against Romania’s Collins Filimon in the men’s singles Round of 64. The Indian star will aim to establish an early advantage through his aggressive style and attacking shot-making.

Unnati Hooda will also compete in the Round of 64, taking on Myanmar’s Thuzar Thet Har Tin in the women’s singles competition.

The mixed doubles draw will see two Indian combinations in action. Rohan Kapoor and Rutvika Shivani Gadde will meet Canadian pair Jonathan Bing Tsan Lai and Crystal Lai.

The other Indian mixed doubles team, Asith Surya and Amrita Pramuthesh, will battle Turkey’s Emre Sonmez and Yasemen Bektas.

Two Indian Women’s Doubles Pairs in Action

The women’s doubles matches scheduled today are part of the Round of 32.

Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi will attempt to secure a place in the next stage when they take on Bulgaria’s Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva.

Meanwhile, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will face American duo Lauren Lam and Alison Lee.

Ayush Shetty Produces Major Upset

India’s opening day at the championships produced one of the tournament’s biggest surprises. Ayush Shetty stunned China’s world No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yu Qi in a three-game thriller, winning 21-14, 13-21, 21-19.

The contest went on for 73 minutes and marked Shetty’s debut appearance at the World Championships, making the victory particularly significant.

Sindhu Opens With Comfortable Victory

PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, also began her campaign successfully. She defeated Sophia Noble 21-7, 21-11 in only 29 minutes.

Sindhu’s next opponent will be Canada’s Wen Yu Zhang as she continues her bid for another strong World Championships run.

India’s successful opening day also included victories for the doubles combinations of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, and Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi.

With several Indian shuttlers already through to the next stage, the second day offers another opportunity for the country’s contingent to strengthen its challenge at the championships.

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BWF World Championships 2026: Lakshya Sen, Unnati Hooda Lead India’s Day 2 Challenge

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BWF World Championships 2026: India Begins Day 2 With Six Matches

The BWF World Championships 2026 enter their second day in New Delhi on Tuesday, August 18, with six matches involving Indian shuttlers scheduled across singles and doubles competitions. Lakshya Sen and Unnati Hooda will begin their respective singles campaigns, while Indian combinations will also compete in women’s doubles and mixed doubles.

The 2026 BWF World Championships are being held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi from August 17 to 23, marking the return of badminton's biggest individual championship to India after 17 years.

Lakshya Sen Starts BWF World Championships Campaign

Indian men's singles star Lakshya Sen will make his tournament debut against Romania's Collins Filimon in the Round of 64.

The 14th-seeded Indian will look to make a confident beginning on home soil. Sen's attacking approach and experience at major international events will be central to India's hopes in the men's singles competition.

The match is part of India's six-match schedule on Day 2 of the BWF World Championships 2026.

Unnati Hooda Faces Myanmar Opponent

Young Indian shuttler Unnati Hooda will also enter the women's singles competition on Tuesday.

Hooda is scheduled to meet Myanmar's Thuzar Thet Har Tin in the Round of 64. The match represents another important opportunity for India's emerging badminton talent on the world stage.

Hooda is among India's debutants at this year's World Championships.

Two Indian Mixed Doubles Pairs in Action

India will have two mixed doubles combinations competing in the Round of 64.

Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde will take on Canada's Jonathan Bing Tsan Lai and Crystal Lai.

In another mixed doubles encounter, Asith Surya and Amrita Pramuthesh will face Turkey's Emre Sonmez and Yasemen Bektas.

The mixed doubles competition begins its World Championships campaign on Day 2.

Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand Among Women's Doubles Entries

India's women's doubles challenge will also feature two important Round of 32 matches.

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will face American pair Lauren Lam and Alison Lee.

Meanwhile, Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi will meet Bulgarian sisters Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva.

Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi are among the Indian players making their World Championships debut this year.

Ayush Shetty Stuns World No. 1 Shi Yu Qi

India's opening day produced a major headline when Ayush Shetty defeated world No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yu Qi of China in the men's singles first round.

Shetty prevailed 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 in a contest lasting 73 minutes. The victory was particularly significant because the 21-year-old was competing at his first World Championships.

The Indian youngster recovered strongly after losing the second game and maintained his composure during a tense deciding game to complete one of the tournament's biggest upsets.

PV Sindhu Opens With Straight-Game Win

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu also began her World Championships campaign with a convincing victory.

Sindhu defeated Sophia Noble 21-7, 21-11 in just 29 minutes. She will next face Canada's Wen Yu Zhang.

Sindhu is seeded ninth at the 2026 World Championships and remains one of India's leading medal contenders in New Delhi.

India Makes Strong Start in New Delhi

India ended the opening day on a highly positive note, recording five wins. Ayush Shetty's victory over Shi Yu Qi was the biggest highlight, while Sindhu and India's doubles combinations also progressed.

The successful opening day has increased expectations around the home contingent as Lakshya Sen, Unnati Hooda and other Indian players take centre stage on Day 2.

With the BWF World Championships 2026 taking place in India for the first time since 2009, the home crowd will be hoping the country's leading shuttlers can convert their strong start into a deep run in the tournament.

BWF World Championships 2026: India's Key Players Today

Lakshya Sen — Men's Singles
Unnati Hooda — Women's Singles
Rohan Kapoor/Ruthvika Shivani Gadde — Mixed Doubles
Asith Surya/Amrita Pramuthesh — Mixed Doubles
Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand — Women's Doubles
Kavipriya Selvam/Simran Singhi — Women's Doubles

Why This Story Matters

The combination of Lakshya Sen's campaign, Unnati Hooda's debut, India's doubles challenge and Ayush Shetty's stunning upset gives Indian badminton fans several major storylines to follow on Day 2 of the World Championships.

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