Chirag-Satwik: How an unlikely doubles concept was forged | Badminton News – Times of India

Sometimes, pairing two active elements in the same crucible can prove counterproductive. But Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty at six feet and six one respectively, two peas of the same pod, are writing a chemistry of their own making.
Stumbled upon in the badmintonlab of much-travelled Malaysian coach Tan Kim Her, the duo is making waves with a game that is based on brute force and dominating the opponent, whoever it may be, with power-packed smashes and aggressive, attacking play.

Pairing two smashers is always a risky proposition for any coach. But, in 2016, Tan Kim, then India coach, saw something which the others wouldn’t.

For a start, it was the imposing sight of two towering frames across the court, immediately instilling fear in any opponent, that may have given Tan Kim the basic idea. But who said it would be easy? Satwik had been training at the Pullela Gopichand Academy since 2014 while Chirag arrived in Hyderabad for a national camp from Mumbai. The crafty Malaysian asked the duo to work together for a few days before making a final decision.
When they won Thailand Open in 2019, their first major a Super-500, they beat the reigning world No. 1 pair – Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen of China – on the way to the title.
Thereafter, there was no stopping them as they pummeled many top pairs into submission with their attacking game. And last week, when Satwik set a Guinness world record for the fastest badminton smash, cracking the shuttle at 565 kmph, not many were surprised. There were a few 500 kmph+ smashes too at the Korea Open where the Indians reigned supreme on Sunday.
But it all could have been such a non-starter. Weaning young Satwik away from childhood friend and first partner, Krishna Prasad Garaga could have proved an emotional upheaval. Thankfully, it didn’t.
For Chirag, it was the relative anonymity that comes with relinquishing an individual sport that caused the initial doubts. Add to that, the larger demands that making a shift from home can bring. Again, thankfully, they were dispelled soon.
Hailing from Amalapuram in Andhra Pradesh, the current-day super smasher Satwik began playing badminton when he was six. Father Kasi remembers: “I was a physical director and he started playing badminton with us when he was six. After he won the under-10 district titles, we took him to an academy in Visakhapatnam. But the coaches advised us to move to Gopichand Academy.”
Krishna Prasad was a family friend. “In fact, it was Krishna Prasad’s father who was the more involved in their early mentoring. Gangadhar used to treat Satwik like his own son, taking both boys to tournaments, attending to their needs off court,” Kasi said.
“Picking Chirag was a very difficult decision,” he would add. “When coach Tan wanted to pair Satwik and Chirag, we did not like it as Krishna is like family to us. But Gopi sir spoke to me. ‘When you admitted your son here you told me that you are giving him for India to win a medal. Stick to that, don’t get emotional,’ Gopi sir told me. Reluctantly, we agreed, and they became a top class pair.”

Singles to doubles: A tectonic shift
If it was sacrificing the comfort of playing with a childhood friend for Satwik, looking for a new partner marked Chirag Shetty’s first foray into doubles badminton. Equally, it was a very difficult decision to make a decade back when he was told by coach Uday Pawar to choose between singles and doubles.
Chirag was doing well in both categories, and the ultimatum left him in a fix. Pawar was clear that doubles would suit his ward more. “He had a natural aptitude for doubles, so I pressed upon him to prefer that,” Uday told TOI.
Like any youngster, Chirag was not convinced at first. No just him, father Chandrasekhar would not have any of it. He didn’t want the son to play in a team event. “I wanted my son to excel in some individual sport as other factors have little say in individual events. But it was a decision Chirag and coach had taken,” father Chandrasekhar said.
It was after a doubles quarterfinal loss at a National tournament in Panchkula that Chirag realised that playing both singles and doubles was taking a toll on his body and affecting his performance. That’s when he made the switch completely. Partnering MR Arjun, Chirag started winning titles at the national and international level.

Chirag was introduced to badminton as a seven-year-old at the Goregaon Sports Club in 2004. “His coach objected as he was too young for badminton. But Chirag developed a liking for shuttle sports. We are a sports-loving family. Though my brothers used to play well, my father did not allow us to pursue sports as a career. But I wanted my children to take up sports,” father Chandrasekhar remembered.
“We sent him for the national camp in Hyderabad. Coach Kim Tan Her wanted him to pair with Satwik and train in Hyderabad. We were against sending him to any other city,” the father would admit.
“It was definitely a difficult decision. He had to leave his partner Arjun while Satwik had to part ways with Krishna Prasad. But we preferred to go with Satwik,” said Chandrasekhar, adding. “In fact, in several matches Chirag and Arjun defeated Satwik and Co.”
The decision to shift to Hyderabad and partner Satwik has worked wonders for both. With a world No. 1 ranking within reach, nothing seems out of reach for Indian sport’s smashing duo.