‘It’s always Plan A’ for Satwik-Chirag

Fit and raring: Satwik and Chirag say they are in good shape ahead of the Asian Games. | Photo Credit: Badmintonphoto Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, down a game and staring at a third runner-up finish, tore up the script. They stormed back to beat home favourites He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu 11-21, 21-13, 21-17 on Sunday, avenging two painful final losses in 2023 and 2025 to finally win the China Masters.Satwik credited the win to a marked improvement in their physical conditioning, coming just weeks after a disappointing quarterfinal exit at the badminton World championships at home. “We weren’t sure how our bodies could cope throughout the week in China. But we became much better after the World championships. Our bodies settled down, and we got better. That’s a good sign going forward,” Satwik said during a virtual interaction on Monday.— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) September 6, 2026Chirag added that the physical grind of their run in China had doubled as ideal preparation — mentally and physically — for the final itself.Through it all, the attack-minded duo remained committed to their game plan. “It’s always Plan A; there is no Plan B for us,” Satwik emphasised.“The Chinese want to play a fast game, and if you’re playing with Malaysians and Indonesians, they’re not as attacking,” he explained, while also crediting his partner for the pair’s attacking edge.Their 10th crown on the BWF World Tour gives them a timely confidence boost heading into their Asian Games title defence later this month.Meanwhile, Chirag, spotted with a belt strapped around his waist during the post-match celebrations, was quick to wave off any fitness concerns ahead of the continental event.“I’ve been wearing it since the injury at the All England last year. If I get a period of one month, probably in December, when I can have a good stretch of practice, that is when I can try playing without it and see how I feel. Not confident enough until then,” he stressed. Published - September 07, 2026 10:34 pm IST