Olympics 2024: What are Satwik-Chirag's medal chances at Paris

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the dynamic Indian badminton duo better known as Satwik-Chirag, have been smashing their way to the top of the international badminton charts.

As they continue to push their limits and redefine Indian badminton at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Satwik-Chirag are poised to become one of the most celebrated pairs in the history of Indian badminton

Let us have a look at their recent performances and the hurdles they are going to tackle for the ultimate glory.

Recent Form

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have had a remarkable 2024 badminton season, despite facing challenges like their early exit at the Singapore Open against the 30th-ranked Danish pair of Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard as recent as June.

Following this setback, the duo showcased resilience and determination throughout the year.

Their journey also included other pitfalls like bowing out of the round of 16 at the All-England Open and overcoming hurdles of Satwik's shoulder injury, which forced them to miss the Asian Championships in April.

However, they made a triumphant return by clinching the Thailand Open title in mid-May, where they displayed badminton without dropping a single set throughout the tournament.

The highlight was their final victory over the Chinese duo of Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi with a score of 21-15, 21-15, a result that held them claim the world number one ranking for a brief period.

In 2024, they have maintained an impressive win-loss record of 23-6, a commendable win rate of 79.3%.

Additionally, they secured another major victory at the French Open, held at the Olympic venue Porte de La Chapelle Arena, defeating the Chinese Taipei pair of Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-Hsuan in straight sets, 21-11, 21-17.

They also ended a few campaigns with losses at the finals but despite being that, In the Malaysian Open and Indian Open, they started strongly by winning a set but lost the subsequent two,

Satwik and Chirag's overall performance reflects their prowess on the badminton court.

These experiences have not only bolstered their competitive edge but also provided valuable insights into the venue they will encounter during the Olympics.

The Draws for Paris 2024

Now in 2024, the duo will come in as one of the favourites to win the Gold medal and unlike 2020 Tokyo, they have a favourable draw and finding themselves in Group C.

Alongside Satwik-Chirag, Group C at the Men’s Double Badminton consists of the world-ranked seventh Indonesian pair of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto, French pair of Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar and German pair of Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel.

While the French pair ranks in the world 29th and the latter German pair find themselves 31st.

Coming, to the mighty Indonesian pair of Fajar-Rian, the All England Open champions this year, our maestros Satwik-Chirag have a better record against them with a 3:2 head-to-head record.

They last met at the 2023 Korean Open, where Satwik-Chirag had the better off Fajar-Rian by 17-21,21-13,21-14.

Also, Satwik-Chirag hasn’t lost a match against the Indonesian pair since 2018 Syed Modi International.

The Indian pair played Corvee and Labar twice, and on both occasions, they won and they are yet to face the Germans.

The men's doubles draw for Paris 2024 consists of four groups, with the top two pairs from each group advancing to the next round.

While the three groups have four pairings, only Group D has five pairings.

Schedule of the Group Stage Matches

27th July

Satwik-Chirag vs Lucas-Ronan - 21-17,21-14.

29th July

Satwik-Chirag vs Mark-Marvin - 12:00 PM.

Satwik-Chirag vs Fajar-Rian - time and date to be announced.

Hurdles at the 2024 Paris Olympics

The recent performances and the domination the duo has delivered over the years have sparked a noise that the pair are amongst the medal contenders from the Indian contingent.

The Olympics remains a big stage, and the pressure and challenges it brings will be immense.

For Satwik-Chirag, it should be a certainty that they qualify for the knock-outs.

Assuming, the pair cross the first barrier, they will have to climb a mountain to surpass the challenges at the knock-out stages.

There will be a few hurdles for Satwik-Chirag to cross, with the likes of the number one seed at the Paris Olympics, the Chinese pair of Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang.

In an ideal situation, the Indians will face the formidable Chinese duo of Liang-Wang in the semi-finals. The head-to-head record tells a story of Chinese dominations - a five wins to one.

The solitary win for Satwik-Chirag did come in the semi-finals of the 2023 Korean Open, where they beat them in straight sets, 21-15,24-22.

The other pair who can give a stern test to the Indian duo are Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, the current world number second and the second seeds at the event.

Satwik-Chirag have played the Danish pair nine times and have won just three games.

Records against other Top Players

• Malaysian, Aaron Chia- Sooh Wooi Yik: 3-8
• Japanese, Hoki Takuro-Kobayashi Yugo: 4-1
• South Korean, Min Hyuk- Seo Seung Jae : 5-2
• Thai, Supak Jomkoh- Kittinupong Kedren: 2-0
• Chinese Taipei's, Lee Yang- Wang Chi Lin: 2-2
• Chinese, Liu Yu Chen- Ou Xuan Yi: 1-0

With their sights set on Olympic glory, Satwik-Chirag's journey will undoubtedly be captivating.

As they prepare to face formidable opponents and navigate the pressures of the Olympic stage, the badminton world eagerly awaits their performance in Paris.

Will they etch their names in Olympic history? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain Satwik-Chirag have already marked their dominance in the world of badminton.