India's premier men's doubles duo, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, suffered a disappointing second-round exit from the Yonex Sunrise India Open 2026, a BWF World Tour Super 750 event, held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. The third-seeded Indian pair, considered strong contenders for the title, were defeated in a hard-fought three-game encounter (27-25, 21-23, 19-21) by Japan's unseeded duo, Hiroki Midorikawa and Kyohei Yamashita, on January 15, 2026. This unexpected loss marked a tough day for the Indian contingent. In contrast, Commonwealth Games gold medalist Lakshya Sen provided a ray of hope for India, advancing to the men's singles quarterfinals. Sen displayed a composed and tactical performance to overcome Japan's Kenta Nishimoto in straight games (21-19, 21-10), becoming the lone Indian representative in the men's singles quarterfinals. Other prominent Indian shuttlers, including former World No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth and H.S. Prannoy, also bowed out in their respective second-round matches. Srikanth lost to France's Christo Popov, while Prannoy was defeated by Singapore's Loh Kean Yew. The India Open 2026, which commenced on January 13 and is scheduled to conclude on January 18, 2026, is a crucial tournament early in the badminton season, offering significant ranking points and prize money. The event witnessed a day of mixed fortunes for the host nation's top players, with the early departure of Satwik-Chirag being a major upset.