India’s star badminton duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have withdrawn from the upcoming Malaysia Masters as they continue to carefully manage their workload after an encouraging week at the Thailand Open 2026.
The Indian pair ended their Thailand Open campaign with a silver medal after suffering a straight-games defeat to Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin in the men’s doubles final at Bangkok’s Nimibutr Stadium.
Despite the loss, the tournament marked a positive turnaround for Satwik and Chirag, who reached their first final of the 2026 season and showed signs of regaining top form ahead of a busy international calendar.
Confirming their decision to skip the Malaysia Masters, Satwik said the duo would instead focus on upcoming tournaments in Singapore, Indonesia and Australia.
The Indian pair struggled in the opening game of the Thailand Open final, losing 21-12, but mounted a spirited comeback in the second game. Satwik and Chirag saved multiple championship points and pushed the Indonesians deep into extra points before eventually going down 25-23 in a gripping finish.
Earlier in the tournament, the world No. 4 duo had produced an impressive semifinal comeback win over Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin to book their place in the title clash.
The Thailand Open run has nevertheless boosted confidence for the decorated Indian pair, who are aiming to return to title-winning form during the upcoming Asian leg of the BWF World Tour.
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