The All England Open Badminton Championships hold a special place for many players, like young Indian shuttlers Lakshya Sen, who once said, “For me, the All England is my dream.” The All England Open Badminton Championships is one of the most prestigious tournaments for shuttlers, and the time has come when Indian players have much to prove. The tournament is set to start on the 11th March in Birmingham. Even though this is an important tournament, India’s chances of winning seem challenging due to the current form and the fixtures they have in the tournament. The draws were released last week, and the doubles pair of Satwik Sairaj Reddy and Chirag Shetty are the only seeded Indians there.
Unseeded pairing a problem for India in All England Open
India’s hopes rest on big players like PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen, who miss out on seeded pairings, making their path harder as they are already struggling with form. Being unseeded means they tend to face seeded or tougher opponents. Indian players have not won any BWF 750 or BWF 1000 tournaments this year, which indicates they might face difficulties in this premier competition as well, narrowing the chances of any Indian lifting the prestigious trophy.
Tough road for Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy
In the men’s singles draw, Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy will lead India’s challenge. Both are unseeded and could face Jonathan Christie (seeded 3rd) and China’s Li Shi Feng (seeded 6th) in the second round, respectively. This makes it tough for both players to advance. It’s understood that to win a tournament, one must face tough opponents, but winning initial rounds usually boost confidence for later challenges and helps players. If they face tough opponents early on, it becomes difficult for players to carry and make tough challenges.
Satwik-Chirag to fill in India Open wounds
Despite being seeded, India’s Satwik Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will have a tough time. In the first round, they face the Danish pair Daniel and Mads. If they progress, they might play against the 2nd seeded Malaysian duo, Goh and Nur, in the quarterfinals. They had lost to the same opponents in the semifinals of the India Open in New Delhi in January this year.
PV Sindhu’s challenging form creates hurdles
In the women’s singles, it’s a tough road for PV Sindhu, who will be competing alongside Malvika Bansod as the other Indian. Both are likely to face higher-ranked opponents by the second round. PV Sindhu might face the fifth-seeded Gregoria Mariska Tunjung from the Philippines, who defeated her in the India Open 2025 quarterfinals. Similarly, Malvika might meet the 2nd seeded Japanese player, Tomoka Miyazaki.
In women’s doubles, three Indian pairs have qualified: Priya-Shruti, Tanisha-Ashwini, and Treesa-Gayathri. Although none are seeded, fans hope for exciting matches and potential upsets. Priya-Shruti will face top seeds Baek and Lee from South Korea in the first round, while Tanisha-Ashwini may meet the 7th-seeded Chinese pair Li and Luo in the second round. Treesa-Gayathri could face the 8th-seeded South Korean duo Kim and Kong in the second round, posing challenges for them.
