2025 BWF World Tour Finals: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty's dream run comes to a close

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty's campaign at the BWF World Tour Finals has come to a close. On Saturday, December 20, the Indians fell short against home players Liang Wei Kang and Wang Chang in the semifinals.

The match got off to a scintillating start. Rankireddy and Shetty went toe-to-toe with Liang and Wang for the first few points, before the Indians steadily began to put distance between themselves and the Chinese. By the interval they already held a five point lead. As they returned from the break, the third seeds easily held on to this momentum, sealing the first game 21-10.

The second game saw Liang and Wang stage the perfect comeback. While there was a small tussle between the two pairs in the beginning, the Chinese slowly moved forward, clinching a 7-3 lead. While Rankireddy and Shetty had evened the scoreline out by the time of the interval, their opponents were successful in claiming the second game 21-17.

The decider unleashed a dam of heartbreak for Indian badminton enthusiasts. While fans were waiting for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty to take control of the game from here on out, the Indians were handed a steady thrashing by their opponents, and they were trailing Liang Wei Kang and Wang Chang 2-11 by the time they switched ends. The Chinese had no problem holding on to this lead and they eventually clinched the match 21-13.

A look at Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty's 2025

With their loss to Liang Wei Kang and Wang Chang, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty's 2025 season has come to a close. Despite a disappointing end to their campaign at the BWF World Tour Finals, the duo have enjoyed a strong year.

While they struggled with injury issues at the beginning of the season, the Indians regrouped when it mattered the most. The highlight of their year came at the BWF World Championships, where they clinched bronze in the men's doubles event. This marked their second consecutive medal finish at the tournament.

Edited by Riddhi Acharya