BWF World Championships 2026: Five Indians Who Could Make a Mark in New Delhi

Ayush Shetty, Unnnati Hooda, and Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly will be among the Indians to watch out for. | Photo Credit: (L-R) Getty Images, Sandeep Saxena

The 30th edition of the BWF World Championships will take place at the Indira Gandhi Arena in New Delhi between August 17 and 23.

Hopes will be high that Indian shuttlers can put up a strong performance on home territory. While prominent names including PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will be expected to challenge for the podium, there are several others who could make an impression at the tournament.

Here are five Indian entries to look out for at the BWF World Championships 2026:

Ayush Shetty (MS) 

Ranked World No. 22 in the men’s singles category, the 21-year-old is set to make his debut at the BWF World Championships in Delhi. He will be facing World No. 1 Shi Yu Qi in the opening round. He has previously clashed with the Chinese player on three occasions, including the 2026 Badminton Asia Championships, where Ayush won silver. He won his maiden BWF Tour title at the US Open 2025. 

Unnati Hooda (WS) 

At 18, she is another rising name in Indian badminton that will make her debut at the BWF World Championships. In May 2026, she became the third-ever Indian woman to make it into the Top 20 of the women’s singles ranking, where she achieved a career-high ranking of 19. P.V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal are the other two players to break into the Top 20. She was also the youngest Indian to win a BWF World Tour title, when she bagged the 2022 Odisha Open Super 100 crown at 14. In the opening round of the upcoming World Championships, she will face Myanmar’s Thet Htar Thuzar. 

Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto (XD)

The mixed doubles duo will be playing their second BWF World Championships, following their quarterfinal loss at the 2025 BWF World Championships in Paris. Tanisha and Dhruv have previously won the 2023 Odisha Masters Gold and bagged silver at the 2024 Syed Modi International. They also ranked World No. 15 in May 2025, their highest ranking as a mixed doubles pair. For the 2026 BWF World Championships, they have received a bye in the first round. 

ALSO READ: Ayush Shetty’s no. 1 challenge & P.V. Sindhu’s surge: India’s BWF World Championships preview

Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly (WD)

Gayatri and Treesa, whose highest rank was World no. 9, are two-time winners of the Syed Modi International in the women’s doubles category. The two, currently ranked World No. 39, have also reached the All England Open semifinal on two occasions. For the opening round of the BWF World Championships, the duo will play against Spain’s Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez, ranked World No. 43. The Indian pair had earlier defeated the Spanish duo at this year’s U.S. Super Open. 

MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan (MD) 

The Indian men’s doubles duo might be a relatively fresher pairing but neither player is new to the doubles scene. They debuted in 2025 and soon after, reached the Syed Modi International quarterfinal. The duo is currently World No. 24 and will face Ireland’s Scott Guildea and Paul Reynolds, who is ranked World No. 102.