All England Open 2026 Draw: Lakshya Sen, PV Sindhu Get Difficult First-Round Tests — India Schedule And Live Streaming Details Inside | AFP
Indian badminton’s top stars head into the All England Open 2026 (March 3–8) with one clear aim, to bring home a big title from one of the sport’s most prestigious BWF Super 1000 events. But the road ahead won’t be easy. Both the top stars Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu have been handed tough opening-round matches in Birmingham.
World No. 13 Lakshya Sen, who ended his two-year title drought at the Australian Open in November 2025, will begin his campaign against none other than World No. 1 Shi Yu Qi.
It’s a daunting draw. Shi defeated Lakshya at the World Championships in Paris last year, and the Indian has lost all four of their previous meetings. If Sen is to progress, he’ll need something special.
Lakshya has fond memories of the All England Open, though. In 2022, he finished runner-up, becoming the first Indian men’s singles player in 21 years, since Pullela Gopichand in 2001, to reach the final of this iconic tournament. He eventually lost to Viktor Axelsen, but that run remains one of the highlights of his career.
PV Sindhu, meanwhile, endured a title-less 2025 season and will be eager to turn things around. However, she too faces a challenging first-round clash against Thailand’s left-hander Supanida Katethong.
Sindhu has struggled in the past against Katethong’s fast-paced, attacking style. The Thai shuttler is the same rival who beat the two-time Olympic medallist in back-to-back meetings at the Indian Open in 2022 and 2023. The two haven’t faced each other since March 2024.
India’s top men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, appear to have a relatively favorable opening match against Malaysia’s Kang Khai Xing and Aaron Tai, currently ranked World No. 34.
On paper, it’s a winnable fixture. But anything can happen in badminton. A victory would likely set up a potential rematch against China’s Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yu, the same pair who knocked Sat-Chi out in the semifinals of last year’s World Championships in Paris.
Men’s Singles: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty
Women’s Singles: PV Sindhu, Malvika Bansod,Unnati Hooda
Men’s Doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty
Women’s Doubles: Treesa Jolly/ Gayatri Gopichand
Mixed Doubles: Tanisha Crasto, Dhruv Kapila, Rohan Kapoor, Ruthvika Shivani Gadde, Sathish Kumar Karunakaran, Aadya Variyath
Men’s Singles
Lakshya Sen vs Shi Yu Qi (China)
Ayush Shetty vs Alwi Farhan (Indonesia)
Women’s Singles
PV Sindhu vs Supanida Katethong (Thailand)
Malvika Bansod vs Chen Yu Fei (China)
Unnati Hooda vs Pornpawee Chochuwong (Thailand)
Men’s Doubles
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty vs Kang Khai Xing & Aaron Tai (Malaysia)
Women’s Doubles
Treesa Jolly & Gayatri Gopichand vs Sayaka Hirota & Ayako Sakuramoto (Japan)
Mixed Doubles
Tanisha Crasto & Dhruv Kapila vs Hoo Pang Ron & Cheng Su Yin (Malaysia)
The All England Open 2026 matches are expected to be live streamed on the official YouTube channel of BWF TV. However, official detials are yet to be revealed.
