Kidambi Srikanth’s career has already gone through almost every possible phase — from becoming the first Indian man to reach world No. 1, beating Lin Dan and winning four Superseries titles in 2017, to winning a World Championships silver and leading India to its historic Thomas Cup triumph.
The 33-year-old seems to be getting his mojo back at the right time after another cold patch.
At the ongoing China Masters 2026, days after India’s No. 1 Lakshya Sen lost to his familiar foe, Canada’s two-time World Championships medallist Victor Lai, the world No. 35 Srikanth came up with a vintage performance, knocking out world No. 9 Lai in straight games at the S750 tournament to qualify for the quarter-finals. He had also downed Chinese Taipei’s world No. 21 Chi Yu Jen in the opening round.
It was not merely a nostalgic reminder of the player India once had, but it showed evidence that he could still string together performances.
And the timing could hardly be better.
India will be heading into the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with an ambitious target in the men’s team event, with almost the same team that came agonisingly close in the Hangzhou Asiad, settling for silver after losing to China in the final.
The 2026 Indian team, which achieved a bronze finish at the Thomas and Uber Cup, therefore has an opportunity to go one step further, and Srikanth can be the puzzle piece that can fix the men’s team.
Returning after injury, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty remain India’s biggest weapon. The Indian duo has made multiple deep runs and also won a Singapore Open title this year. Their presence gives India an advantage in one of the doubles rubbers. But team championships are rarely won on the strength of one discipline alone. The singles will be the area where India needs to show mettle to change the outcome of a tight tie.
That is where Srikanth’s importance grows.
India have good options in Sen and Ayush Shetty alongside Hangzhou Asiad bronze medallist HS Prannoy, but there are signs of worry too — unpredictability. Sen, who started his season on a high note by reaching the All England final, has struggled to find his rhythm and has gone down in the opening round on several occasions. The towering young shuttler Shetty, who won Asian Championship silver in May and defeated world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi at the home World Championships last month, has had almost the same trajectory this year, without making multiple deep runs in World Tour events. However, both Shetty and Sen have the capability of rising to the occasion in team events, and they proved it at the Thomas and Uber Cup. For Prannoy, injuries and recoveries have been a big issue. However, he beat reigning world No. 1 Jonatan Christie earlier this year and can fill the role if needed.
In that scenario, Srikanth in the mix brings what India most needs to complete a match-ready squad — an experienced third shuttler who can deliver in high-pressure situations. He has played some of the biggest matches of his career, including the historic 2022 Thomas and Uber Cup, under intense pressure and knows what it takes to compete in a team environment.
Earlier this year, he edged Japan’s Koki Watanabe at the Indonesia Masters before smashing past Paris Olympics bronze medallist Lee Zii Jia at the US Open, finishing runner-up.
The veteran may not be India’s headline act anymore, but the recent performance suggests that if he continues this upward trajectory, he could become one of India’s most important cogs in the pursuit of Asian Games gold.
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