3 min readUpdated: Apr 30, 2026 03:56 PM IST
FILE PHOTO: Indian shuttler HS Prannoy in action. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)Of all the possibilities in the world, Chinese Taipei had to walk into India’s path at the Thomas Cup. With strong singles and a favourable matchup to stop Ayush Shetty through No 8 Lin Chun-Yi, Taiwan can be a formidable foe for India as they seek to progress from the quarters upwards. However, injury worries have dogged the Taiwanese too.
India had lost in both MS1 and MD1 four years ago to Taiwan, on thecway to the Thomas Cup title they won. As such, that group tie was a catalyst to the triumph back in 2022. It is a much sturdier Taiwan now, with depth in men’s singles.World No 4 Chou Tien Chen, Lin Chun-Yi and Chi Yu-Jen played in the 3-2 win against Denmark, but Tien Chen and the new Asian Championships gold medallist Lin Chun-Yi lost their singles ties. Chun-Yi went down to Magnus Johannesen 17-21, 21-16, 21-19, but had defeated Ayush easily at Ningbo BAC. With injury concerns for the Taiwanese, Ayush can fancy his chances in a rematch at Horsens.
Chou Tien Chen went down to Anders Antonsen in the group game. However, Tien Chen and Lakshya Sen are 4-4 apiece in head to heads, the Indian having won both their last faceoffs in 2025. Sen has famously defeated Tien Chen at the Olympics and at All England, but had lost his MS1 in 2022 Thomas Cup.
Their first doubles Chiu Hsian Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin were good enough against Denmark, while the second doubles of Liu Kuang Heng and Yang Po Hsuan, had picked a point too in the 3-2 win.
The problem for India is Taiwan have Lee Chia Hao, a strong singles player, waiting in reserves, to shuffle their matchups. So if Taiwan decide to promote Lin Chun-Yi to first singles, given their 5-0 history in favour of Taiwanese, on the fast courts at Horsens, Sen could be in considerable trouble.
Kiran George is 2-0 against World No 21 Chi Yu-Jen, while Prannoy too has beaten the third singles player. Srikanth is 2-2 against Lee Chia Hao, having won last two times. Kiran George is 3-3 too, but has lost the last two times.Story continues below this ad
Prannoy’s experience after the China MS3 win can come in handy, but India have a headache in picking their third singles.
Satwik-Chirag have a score to settle from last time, and finishing problems to deal with, and will need to pull 1 point for India to advance, for this isn’t a Triple-singles Play, like usual.
Quarterfinals:
China vs Malaysia
Thailand vs Denmark
France vs Japan
India vs Chinese Taipei
Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball.
Professional Profile
Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express.
Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics.
Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium.
Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025)
Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond:
Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style.
PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps.
The
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