Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty reveal why they had no Plan B and struck to their strategy during China Masters 2026 triumph.
Published: September 7, 2026, 10:33 PM IST
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Satwik-Chirag reveal no Plan B strategy in the China Masters 2026
Star Indian badminton duo and one of the finest athletes of all time, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Sheety opened up on their game strategy in the finals of the China Masters 2026 against home team duo He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu.
Satwik-Chirag reveal there was ‘no Plan B’ as they stuck to their strategy in China Masters final
In an exclusive interview with India.com from Mumbai after delivering an exceptional performance in the China Masters 2026, Star Indian duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Sheety revealed that they sticked to their strategyWhile moving forward to the game, they maintained their strategy and strength, instead of adapting any Plan B in the final clash.
Satwik also shared that it depended on the opponents we were facing in the China Masters 2026He also revealed the different strategy and gameplay techniques used by different teams in the tournament“So it’s always plan A for usThere’s no plan B for usBut I think it depends on opponents who we are playingIt’s never easyIt’s toughOpponent doesn’t want to lift to us as wellSo it’s not easy for usWe’ll get easy attack for usIt’s never an easy thingIf you’re playing with Malaysians or Indonesians, they keep challengingEven the Chinese, they don’t want lift us in the final.”
He also described his partner Chirag’s role in making things easier for him and how they tackled sides like Malaysia and Indonesia“They just want to play fast game and they want to get attackSo it’s very tough for usBut Chirag makes my job pretty much easierHe creates so much chances for me to finishBut it’s always depends on opponent who we are playingIf you’re playing with some Indonesians, Malaysians who are not really strong hitters, we want to open up and play some defence game then try to get into the attackBut if we are playing with someone who has good attack, we want to take a chance in the frontcourt and challenge them and see and take from there.”
Satwik-Chirag credit improved fitness and tough China matches for their historic title win
Satwik and Chirag said their improved fitness played a big role in their historic China Masters winThe duo felt much better physically after a disappointing performance at the BWF World ChampionshipsRecently, in the finals of the China Masters 2026, Indian badminton duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Sheety faced China’s star players, He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang YuThe full match was full of chaos and intense momentsThey defeated them 11-21, 21-13, 21-17 in the final on Sunday to win their maiden China Masters title and second BWF World Tour crown of the season“We were much better physically after the World ChampionshipsThat was the difference mainly,” Satwik said.
Chirag also added that their tough matches in China helped them get ready, both physically and mentally, for the final“When we played five matches in the China Open, we played three games barring the first roundThat was good.”
