CWG: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty seal gold in badminton men's doubles

This is the first time that India has won three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games.

Another gold medal for India in badminton and this time it’s in the men’s doubles event, where Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty beat England’s Ben Lane and Sean Vendy 21-15, 21-13 in straight gmes in the men’s doubles event final at the Commonwealth Games 2022. The Indian shuttlers started as favourites against the English men and they did not disappoint.

The duo dominated in the first game against Ben Lane and Sean Vendy with some sensational smashes. They prevailed in the first game, 21-15, while the second game was even easier, 21-13. Just like in the semi-finals, it was comfortable for the Indian champions to grab an easy victory.

Shetty/Rankireddy were the favourites in this category from the beginning. They beat Pakistan’s Murad Ali and Muhammad Irfan Saeed Bhatti 21-8, 21-7 in a one-sided affair. They further defeated Jacob Schueler and Nathan Tang of Australia 21-9, 21-11 in the quarterfinals. The semi-final encounter against Chan Peng Soon and Tan Kian Meng proved to be one of the easiest semifinals for the Indian duo as they easily won by 21-6, 21-15.

This is the first time India has won three golds in badminton at the Commonwealth Games. PV Sindhu in women’s singles, Lakshya Sen in men’s singles and the magical duo of Shetty and Rankireddy in men’s doubles won the top prize. The experienced Kidambi Srikanth and the Indian duo of Jolly and Gopichand had to settle for a bronze.

The duo won Thomas Cup earlier this year

Though Sindhu defeated Canada’s Michelle Li in the final, 21-15, 21-13 in straight sets, Lakshya Sen had to fight hard for his victory against Tze Yong. He won gold with scores of 19-21, 21-9, 21-16.

The pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy was a part of the Indian team that won the Thomas Cup title earlier this year. The duo also played together in the mixed team event, where India bagged silver after being crushed by the Malaysians in the final.