Indian men’s doubles pair Satwik-Jiraj (Image: ANI)
India’s top men’s pair, Satwiksraj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, ended their impressive campaign at the 2026 Thailand Open in second place after losing to Indonesians Leo Rulli Karnando and Daniel Marthen in the final at Nemibuter Stadium in Bangkok on Sunday.The Indian duo lost 21-12, 25-23 in a fast-paced 53-minute derby, narrowly missing out on their first title of the 2026 season.Satwik and Chirag struggled to find their rhythm in the opening match as the Indonesian duo dominated the match from the start. Leo and Daniel dominated the matches with aggressive attacking play and cruised away to take the first game comfortably 21-12.However, the Indian duo responded strongly in the second match and staged a spirited comeback.
Satwik and Chirag turned up the intensity, fighting point for point, pushing the match to a tense finish. The Indians showed tremendous resilience, saving five straight championship points to keep themselves alive in the competition before eventually losing 25-23 in a dramatic finish.Despite the defeat, the tournament marked an important step forward for Satwik and Chirag, who appeared in their first final of the 2026 season.
This was also their first final appearance since the China Masters in 2025. Earlier in the tournament, the top-seeded Indian duo produced one of their best performances of the season in the semi-final against Malaysians Goh Sze Fai and Noor Azizuddin.The thrilling semi-final lasted an hour and 22 minutes, with Satwik and Chirag coming from behind to win 19-21, 22-20, 21-16 and extend their head-to-head record against the Malaysians to 8-2.
The victory in the semi-finals demonstrated the fighting spirit of the Indian duo, especially after they recovered from a difficult first match and saved decisive points under pressure in the second.With PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen already eliminated from the tournament, Satwik and Chirag carried India’s last hopes in Bangkok. The duo also recorded a convincing round of 16 win over Malaysia’s Gunting’s Brian Jeremy and Haikal Muhammad, winning 21-12 21-19 to continue their strong run.Meanwhile, India’s singles campaign ended in the quarter-finals. Lakshya Sen suffered defeat to Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn, while PV Sindhu lost a close match to Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi.