Four Indian Players Set to Make Their Debut at BWF World Championship

New Delhi, August 12: The BWF World Championship is returning to India for the first time since 2009, drawing attention to the nation’s renowned badminton stars. However, alongside them, Ayush Shetty, Unnati Hooda, Simran Singh, and Kavipriya Selvam will also make their debut at the championship, promising to be the future face of Indian badminton. Here’s a closer look at these emerging talents.

Unnati Hooda (Women’s Singles): At just 17 years old, Unnati Hooda has established herself as one of India’s most promising young badminton talents. The Haryana shuttler first caught the spotlight in 2022 when, at the age of 14, she won the Odisha Open Super 100, becoming the youngest Indian to clinch a BWF 100 World Tour title. Since then, she has not looked back.

In 2025, Unnati caused a major upset by defeating former world champion PV Sindhu at the China Open Super 1000. In 2026, she added another international title to her name by winning the Polish Open.

Ayush Shetty (Men’s Singles): This shuttler from Karnataka first made his mark by winning a bronze medal at the BWF World Junior Championship 2023. In 2025, Ayush secured his first BWF World Tour title at the US Open Super 300. That same year, he made history by becoming the first Indian since Dinesh Khanna in 1965 to reach the finals of the Men’s Singles at the Badminton Asia Championship, where he earned a silver medal.

Simran Singh and Kavipriya Selvam (Women’s Doubles): Among India’s rapidly improving women’s doubles pairs, Simran Singh and Kavipriya Selvam have made a name for themselves through consistent performances on the international circuit.

Born in Mumbai, Simran began her badminton journey at the Goregaon Sports Club under coach Uday Pawar, the same academy that produced world championship medalist Chirag Shetty. After excelling in the junior circuit, she secured her place in India’s senior international setup before teaming up with Kavipriya Selvam.

Kavipriya, hailing from Puducherry, emerged as a doubles specialist from Tamil Nadu’s competitive domestic circuit before partnering with Simran. Together, they have steadily climbed the international rankings, reaching their career-best position at 38 in the BWF World Rankings. They have regularly participated in BWF Super 300 and Super 500 tournaments. The 2026 BWF World Championship marks the biggest milestone of their partnership as they prepare to debut in badminton’s premier tournament.