India will battle Chinese Taipei in the Thomas Cup quarterfinals on Friday, aiming to secure their second title in the prestigious world team badminton championship.
India advanced to the knockout stage after finishing second in Group A, following victories over Canada (4-1) and Australia (5-0) before narrowly losing to China (2-3). The team now faces a strong Chinese Taipei squad featuring world No. 6 Chou Tien Chen, All England champion Lin Chun-Yi (world No. 8), and Chi Yu Jen (world No. 21).
In doubles, Chinese Taipei boasts world No. 14 pair Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin, along with world No. 16 duo Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan.
India’s lineup looks balanced and confident. Young Ayush Shetty has impressed by winning all three of his matches, including victories over Brian Yang and Weng Hong Yang. HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth bring experience to the third singles slot, while Lakshya Sen continues to show fighting spirit despite close losses.
The doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty remain India’s biggest strength. They won their first two matches and pushed China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang to the limit in a close contest. The second doubles team of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun also contributed crucial wins.
India, the 2022 champions, will look to replicate their historic triumph and keep their title hopes alive.
