Top five doubles pairs in Indian badminton

These players have produced some remarkable performances over the years.

In an era where Indian badminton is mostly glorified through the singles category, some Indian doubles pairs have also seen an upsurge in their performances. With the likes of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty coming through the ranks, the perspective of men's doubles has completely changed in the country.

Ashwini Ponappa and N Sikki Reddy are the most prominent players in the women's doubles category. However, the density of doubles players in India is still a concern.

Having said that, let's take a look at the current top five pairs in the doubles category on the Indian badminton circuit: 

5. Dhruv Kapila and MR Arjun 

Young Indian badminton players Dhruv Kapila and MR Arjun are the upcoming men's doubles pair from the country. Currently ranked 41 in the BWF World Rankings, they finished runners up at the Nepal International and Bangladesh International in 2019.

This Indian duo has the potential and capability to become the next top men's doubles pair of the nation, provided they come up with some significant wins in the top BWF tournaments. 

4. Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Sikki Reddy

Ranked 36 in the BWF World Rankings, Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N. Sikki Reddy are the most experienced mixed doubles pair of India. Notably, they reached their highest rank of 13 in the world in 2017. Their best performance together came at the 2016 South Asian Games when they won the gold medal. 

They have also won many top tournaments such as the 2017 Syed Modi International, Russian and Brazil Open in 2016. The pair don't play regularly these days, but will like to comeback on the court soon to win more trophies.

3. Satwiksairaj and Ashwini Ponnappa

Ashwini Ponnappa and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy are currently ranked 25 in the BWF World Rankings in the mixed doubles category. They are the most promising mixed doubles pair of India. Notably, they became the first mixed doubles pair of India to reach the semi-finals of a World tour Super 1000 tournament at the 2021 Thailand Open.

Although they haven't won any significant tournament till now, they have been able to give tough competition to some of the best pairs in the world. Indian badminton fans will have high hopes from them in the upcoming tournaments.

2. Ashwini Ponappa and Sikki Reddy

Even though Indian badminton has escalated over the years, nothing much has changed in the women's doubles category. Ashwini Ponappa and N. Sikki Reddy are still the highest-ranked women's doubles players from India, currently ranked 24 in the world. 

They won a bronze at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and have managed to stay in the top 30, but they haven't had any significant achievements as of yet. After Ponappa and Jwala Gutta, all the women's doubles burden is on this pair as the other badminton players have not shown any real spark on the international circuit. 

Jwala and Ponappa were the most successful women's doubles pair and reach a career high ranking of 10 in the world. Moreover, Ashwini and Sikki also participate in the mixed doubles as well with different partners. 

1. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty

This young prodigy has completely defined men's doubles badminton in India with their performances in the last couple of years. They became the first men's doubles pair of India to win a super series title by clinching the 2019 Thailand Open title. Previously, they had also won a silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. 

This was just the start for the hustling pair. Over the years, they have won many international series and have finished runner up in other super series as well. Notably, they have become the first men's doubles pair from India to be ranked inside the top 10 in the world. They were also the only Indian men's doubles pair to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, but were eliminated in the group stage itself. 

Moreover, at the ongoing Indonesia Open, the dynamic duo has reached the semi-finals of the event. Above all, they have built the foundation for men's doubles in India, as no one has achieved what they have for men's doubles in the country. 

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