Chirag Shetty - the silent assassin in India’s lethal badminton duo

Chirag Shetty, fresh from a historic Asian Championship triumph in Dubai with partner Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, has his eyes fixed on a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

File Photo | And, typical of his soft nature, Chirag has stayed grounded despite winning a historic men’s doubles title — partnering Satwiksairaj — in the recent Asian championship in Dubai. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Chirag Shetty has been the silent performer even as his explosive partner R. Satwiksairaj indulges in dominating jump smashes to unsettle rivals in what has been arguably the best men’s doubles combination (now ranked World No.5) in Indian badminton ever.

And, typical of his soft nature, Chirag has stayed grounded despite winning a historic men’s doubles title — partnering Satwiksairaj — in the recent Asian championship in Dubai.

“It was a very difficult win for sure. Except for some European big names, all the other familiar names from Asia were there. That way, it has been a truly special performance given the challenging draw and the conditions,” Chirag said in a chat with  Sportstar.

“One area where we could really excel was definitely to serve and receive a lot better. We were quite proactive in the first two or three strokes, this took the opponents by surprise. And that helped us right through the Asian championship,” the 25-year-old  said.

Chirag said he and Satwiksairaj complement each other really well. “This is one of the reasons why our combination is so special and we keep winning some of the major titles,” he said.

Chirag and Satwik after winning the Asian Championships men’s doubles gold

“These (winning at the Asian championship) are really very important. It is really special given the fact that the Sudirman Cup, Asian Games and the World championships are coming up. A huge confidence booster for sure,” Chirag said.

“Learning is a never-ending process. There is always scope for improvement in a lot of areas. We intend to solidify our defence,” he said.

“The biggest challenge for us, of course, is to be consistent right through. We believe we have it in us to win big events including an Olympic medal. That’s what we are gunning for,” Chirag said.

He added that the appointment of doubles coach Mathias Boe has been very beneficial to them.

“There is a lot more systematic programming of our training schedules. And, not just during practice but also when we approach the tournaments. There is a lot of planning and that is one of the reasons why we are able to play well,” Chirag said