In a gripping quarterfinal at the BWF World Championships in Paris, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty delivered a stirring performance to guarantee India a medal. The world No. 9 pair decisively beat Olympic rivals Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, the second seeds, 21–12, 21–19 in just 43 minutes—exactly one year after the Malaysians had dashed their Olympic dreams on French soil.

This win isn’t just about the medal it’s emotional redemption. The duo reached the semifinals for the second time since their historic bronze in 2022, thereby extending India’s podium streak at the World Championships to 14 consecutive editions.

Despite earlier struggle and injuries this year, their aggressive, confident style once again shone on the big stage. With PV Sindhu exiting earlier in the day, Satwik–Chirag now carry India’s hopes forward alone—and they did it with flair, timing, and a masterful game plan that turned heartbreak into triumph. Their next challenge awaits in the semifinals, but today, they’ve already done more than deliver—they’ve made history.