On Friday, the draws for the upcoming Thomas and Uber Cup were revealed by the Badminton World Federation, and by the looks of it, the Indian badminton teams are going to have a tough time. The Indian men’s team, who are also the defending champions of the Thomas Cup, have been placed in Group C, along with 14-time champs Indonesia, Thailand and England.
Although the India had beaten Indonesia in the final of the 2022 edition to lift the trophy, it would totally depend of the form of the players, as to how far can the team actually go. It is not just Indonesia, who will be a threat to India, but Thailand as well, who have a good mix of men’s singles and doubles players.
Who Could Represent India at Thomas Cup?
Without any doubt, the World No.1 men’s doubles team of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty will be there, and so will be singles specialist HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen, and Kidambi Srikanth. But it remains to be seen who finally makes it as the squad is yet to announced, and depends on their availability as well.
The men’s team though, could be found wanting in the second doubles match, where the second best pair in the country, MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila haven’t been at their best, and been plagued by injuries.
What are India’s Chances at Uber Cup?
On the other hand, in the women’s section, Team India will be up against strong China, Canada, and Singapore in Group A. The two-time bronze medalists will have to play out of their skins to reach the medal rounds though. But after clinching the Badminton Asia Team Championships gold medal, their hopes will only be raised, seeing the way how youngster Anmol Kharb performed.
PV Sindhu, as expected will lead the Indian contingent, with Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand, Ashwini Ponnappa/Tanisha Crasto, and Anmol Kharb making the cut.
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