NEW DELHI: India’s chief doubles coach Tan Kim Her is maintaining a measured approach of caution and optimism as the BWF World Championships inch closer.
Central to India’s hopes at the prestigious annual event is the top men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. Returning to action following a planned break and physical rehabilitation, the duo will anchor the home campaign. Tan emphasized that managing lingering physical issues and mental sharpness will be the deciding factors at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium from August 17-23.
Addressing the primary concern surrounding Rankireddy’s fitness, Tan confirmed that the hard-hitting shuttler’s shoulder has shown significant recovery and is clear to return to high-level play. The 25-year-old has been undergoing rehab which has helped him regain strength. However, Tan acknowledged that managing the shoulder remains an ongoing process due to historical wear.
“His shoulder has almost fully recovered now and he is ready to play. He is ready now,” said Tan, who originally paired Rankireddy and Shetty a decade back. “He has gone under rehab. His shoulder has improved a lot. Of course, the rehab is still there, but he is getting much better.”
Tan knows that the shoulder injury is a long-standing issue requiring careful handling rather. “Satwik’s shoulder (issue) is from 2018, when he had the tear. It has been on and off. Hopefully this time, he can overcome (the injury). That is my concern. Other than that, both of them are very committed, very disciplined. But with the injury there, we cannot do anything,” said the Malaysian.
Rankireddy and Shetty finally ended their two-year title drought in May when they won the Singapore Open. But the injury forced the world No.5 pair to retire from the first rounds of both Indonesia Open (June) and Japan Open (July) after which they took a rehab break to prepare for the Worlds.
The primary focus now shifts to match rhythm. While their preparation has been structured, regaining tournament intensity after a month off the circuit remains critical.
“After Satwik-Chirag won the Singapore Open, the confidence was very good. But after that they had a break. Preparation has been good, but the important part is confidence. Since they have been out for almost one month plus, whether they can get the rhythm back or not, is very important. But they are positive. They should be okay.”
Seeded fifth, the ace pair have received a favourable draw. After a first round bye, they will face the winner of the match between Alexander Dunn and Adam Pringle of Scotland and Thai Chaloempon Charoenkitamorn and Worrapol Thongsa-Nga. They will likely face their real test in the quarter-finals against Paris Olympics silver medallists and third seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China.
Tan stressed a disciplined, match-by-match approach, especially given the competitive nature of the men’s doubles field, identifying South Korean top seeds and defending champions Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae as the benchmark for stability in an otherwise volatile field.
“Only the Korean pair is very consistent. Other than that, everyone is up and down. Satwik and Chirag are also quite consistent because they’re playing less tournaments. Others are playing around 18-19 tournaments, because of which they (their performances) are up and down,” added the 54-year-old.
Tactically, men’s doubles is defined by fast-paced exchanges where serve and return dictate momentum. Tan highlighted that controlling the net and maintaining an attacking stance is paramount to Rankireddy and Shetty’s success as it allows them to bypass drawn-out rallies against top defensive pairs like the Koreans.
“Service is important. If your service is good, then you can consider 60% of your game is set. If your service is not good, then you’re gone. The Korean pair are very good overall. Both service and receiving are consistent. Then they have a very good defence as well,” said Tan.
“For Satwik-Chirag, in attack, we are good. Service and receiving, we’re also okay. But defence wise, the Korean pair are much better than us. When we beat them recently (Singapore Open), we controlled the game and played more attack. When we attack, we stand a good chance to win.”
Beyond technical execution, Tan believes the mental dimension will dictate how far the Indian combine progresses in front of their home crowd. To handle expectations, the players are actively consulting mental health experts.
“On that day, if Satwik and Chirag are in good form, they can beat anyone. The important part is self-confidence, to be mentally prepared. If they are mentally strong, they can beat anyone, as we saw at Singapore Open. But if they are mentally not strong, they can lose to anyone also. What they should think is, ‘this is our home and the crowd is supporting us’. Then they play with full confidence,” he added.
