Indian men's badminton team eased into the quarterfinals of the Thomas Cup with a dominant 5-0 victory against Australia in their second Group A tie in Horsens, Denmark, on Monday. The 2022 champions now share the top spot in the group with defending champions China.
India had earlier beaten Canada 4-1 in their opening match, while China blanked Australia 5-0 on April 24 and defeated Canada 4-1 on Monday. The Indians did not lose a single set against the lower-ranked Australians.
Singles and Doubles Dominance
Lakshya Sen set the tone with a convincing 21-14, 21-16 victory over Ephraim Stephen Sam to give India the first point. US Open champion Ayush Shetty followed with a crushing 21-8, 21-6 win against Shrey Dhand. In the first men's doubles match, the formidable pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty downed Rizky Hidayat and Jack Yu 21-14, 21-16.
HS Prannoy had an easy outing in the third singles, defeating Rishi Honda Boopathy 21-11, 21-17. The doubles duo of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun completed the whitewash by outclassing Andika Ramadiansyah and Ephraim Stephen Sam 21-12, 21-10 in the final match.
Group Standings and Other Contenders
With this win, India and China lead Group A with two wins each. In other groups, Japan and Malaysia are likely to reach the last eight from Group B. Denmark has already secured a spot from Group C, while Chinese Taipei and Korea are battling for the second spot. From Group D, Indonesia and Thailand are the favorites to advance.
Sindhu Joins BWF Panel
In other badminton news, former world champion PV Sindhu has assumed charge as a BWF council member after being elected as chair of the BWF Athletes' Commission in December 2025. She will represent the interests of players in the sport's governing body.
