4 min readMumbaiApr 11, 2026 11:37 PM IST
India’s Ayush Shetty Saturday stormed into the Badminton Asia Championships final, becoming the only Indian in line to win the men’s singles crown after Dinesh Khanna’s victory in 1965.
The 20-year-old, 6-foot-4 World No. 25 from Karnataka’s Karkala village defeated World No.1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand 10-21, 21-19, 21-17, riding on his power smash that comes from almost an 8-foot watchtower-like vantage when he leaps to connect.
In the finals Sunday, Ayush will take on World Champion Shi Yuqi from China.
“The Asians (championship) is tougher than the World Championships,” Vimal Kumar, coach at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, said about the tournament.
Ayush’s semifinal against Vitidsarn was not his first sensational victory in the Championships – earlier this week, he similarly humbled former Asiad champion No.4 Jonatan Christie and the Chinese heir apparent No.7 Li Shifeng, using his smash to stub their defiance.
Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty in action during the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China. (PHOTO: Badminton Asia Championships)
Having trained with double Olympic reigning champion Viktor Axelsen, considered a contemporary great, in Dubai, Ayush has honed a formidable power game – armed with his forehand cross-court cannoning smash – to reignite India’s tryst with contests for badminton titles. While Khanna remains the only Indian to win the men’s singles gold at the Asia Championships, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the doubles crown in 2023.
In Ningbo, Ayush also displayed a remarkable handling of pressure situations. “He handled all the crucial moments exceptionally well and clearly got into Kunlavut’s mind,” Vimal said, describing how Ayush overturned a 10-21 first set setback to win the next two 21-19, 21-17.
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After leading 20-14 in the second, Ayush was overcome by anxiety allowing Kunlavut to close within a point, at 20-19. “However, he responded brilliantly with a decisive down-the-line smash to close out the game,” said Vimal.
In the decider, Ayush looked physically exhausted. Yet, his steep, powerful down-the-line smashes and well-directed half-smashes to Kunlavut’s forehand proved decisive and completely turned the match in his favour.
“What stands out most is Ayush’s composure. He is handling pressure situations remarkably well,” the coach said.
Ayush Shetty in action during his semifinals match at the Badminton Asia Championships 2026. (Credit: Badminton Asia Championships)
A self-motivated shuttler who started playing in his backyard with his father and his friends, Ayush always dreamed big and moved to Bengaluru in his teens for better coaching. There he trained under Mohit Kamat and Krishna Kumar, who chiselled his basics. While his strong net-game is natural, his smash variations were honed at Prakash Padukone-Vimal Kumar’s academy.
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Over the years, an extremely driven Ayush grew up with very high expectations of himself, and losses would send him down a spiral. An introvert, he often found it tough to open up or seek help. Last December, he endured a painful back injury that later made it impossible for him to stand straight, but he has since sought help from a psychologist and has a good team working to keep him physically strong.
Last year, Ayush beat top names — Rasmus Gemke, Kodai Naraoka and Loh Kean Yew — but the back injury held him back at the start of this season. He stepped up to play his first singles at the Asia Team Championships, but lost from a leading position to Korea as India missed a medal. After the Swiss Open, he snapped his racquet into two in anger after a loss.
Things, however, seem to have come together this week, for both Ayush and Indian badminton. With him at the Asians and Lakshya Sen making the All England finals, the squad for the coming Thomas Cup looks ominous again.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
