India's prominent men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, faced a stunning defeat in the second round of the ongoing Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2026, exiting the tournament after a hard-fought battle against Japan's Hiroki Midorikawa and Kyohei Yamashita. The world No. 3 Indian duo, who were third seeds in the competition, lost 25-27, 23-21, 21-19 in a gripping 84-minute encounter at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. The loss of Satwik-Chirag, considered strong contenders for the title, has significantly 'dashed home hopes,' as highlighted by the BWF World Tour article. Chirag Shetty attributed their patchy performance to a lack of rhythm, potentially influenced by a first-round walkover that kept them off the main court for several days. This upset was a major blow for the host nation, as many other prominent Indian shuttlers also bowed out of the Super 750 event. Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth, World Championships bronze medallist HS Prannoy, and Malvika Bansod were among those who crashed out. Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu had also suffered an opening-round exit earlier in the tournament. Currently, Lakshya Sen remains the lone Indian hope in the men's singles quarterfinals, advancing with a composed victory over Japan's Kenta Nishimoto. The India Open 2026, part of the BWF World Tour, is a crucial event on the international badminton calendar, running from January 13 to 18, 2026, offering substantial ranking points and a total prize money of US$950,000.