Lakshya Sen reaches the All England Open 2026 final after a giant-killing run and now stands one win away from joining the legendary club of Indian badminton including only Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand.
Lakshya Sen on Verge of joining Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand in Indian badminton history At All England Open 2026 | AFP
Lakshya Sen has often been the one in recent years, the lone warrior waving the Indian flag at the biggest tournaments, fighting till the very end. Be it the Paris Olympics 2024, the World Championships 2021, or the All England Open 2022, he has always given it everything, even when the titles slipped away.
Today, he goes again, in Birmingham, standing on the verge of entering an elite club that has only two Indian badminton legends, Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand.
The World No. 12 has reached the All England Open 2026 final, and what a journey it has been, one that turned him into a true giant killer.
Before arriving in Birmingham, logistical issues caused by tensions in the Middle East had already created uncertainty around the Indian contingent. The negativity only grew when India’s two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu was forced to withdraw after being stuck in Dubai.
With that, all hopes for India for the BWF Super 1000 tournament rested on Lakshya Sen. But destiny had its own script. In the very first round, Sen was drawn against World No. 1 Shi Yuqi, a rival he had never beaten before, having lost all four of their previous meetings. Until this time.
Lakshya Sen defeated the defending champion in the opening round against all odds. In a thrilling 78-minute battle, the Indian shuttler emerged victorious 23-21, 19-21, 21-17, finally opening his account against the Chinese star in their head-to-head rivalry.
In the second round, he faced Ng Ka Long Angus, which turned out to be yet another three-game thriller. Once again, Sen the tides favoured him with 21-19, 21-23, 21-10 win.
Then came the quarterfinals. When Lakshya looked across the net, he saw an old rival standing there, the same man who had ended his All England campaign in the 2025 quarterfinals, Li Shi Feng.
This time, however, revenge was on Sen’s mind. The Indian never looked under pressure even for a moment, claiming a comfortable 21-13, 21-16 victory over the Chinese shuttler.
The stage is set. The history books are open. 🏸
— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) March 8, 2026
Lakshya Sen is one win away from eternal glory at the YONEX All England Open 2026. It’s time to bring that trophy home! 🇮🇳
Match: Lakshya Sen vs. Lin Chun Yi
Time: 5:20 PM
Status: FINALS
Let's rally behind our champion!… pic.twitter.com/uBWAhEeVoD
In the semifinals, the Indian star faced Canada’s Victor Lai, who also had plenty at stake, being the only Canadian man to reach this stage at the world’s most prestigious and oldest badminton tournament.
And what a match it turned out to be. The battle lasted 97 minutes and had everything a player could give to protect his nation’s pride. Lakshya fought through injuries, cramps, blisters on his toes, and a tough opponent before finally sealing the match 21-16, 18-21, 21-15.
Now, he is set to face Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei, seeking India’s first All England title since 2001, when Pullela Gopichand lifted the trophy.
So far, only two Indians have ever won the tournament, Prakash Padukone in 1980 and Pullela Gopichand in 2001. Both the players are considered the pioneers of Indian badminton. If Lakshya wins the final on Sunday, he will join that elite list of legendary Indian shuttlers.
Padukone, who is known as the father of Indian badminton, became the first Indian to win the title after defeating two-time defending champion Liem Swie King of Indonesia in straight games 15-3, 15-10. And, Gopichand, often called as the 'Monk of Indian Badminton,' later clinched the title by defeating Chen Hong of China 15-12, 15-6.
Including Lakshya, only five Indians in history have ever reached the singles final of this prestigious tournament:
This is also something that even two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu still misses on her resume. Her best finish at the All England Open remains the semifinals, which she reached twice, in 2018, losing to Akane Yamaguchi, and in 2021, where she was defeated by Pornpawee Chochuwong.
The last time Lakshya Sen reached the final in 2022, he finished runner-up after losing to the then World No.1 and reigning Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark 10–21, 15–21.
Lakshya Sen's final match against Lin Chun-Yi will be held on March 8, Sunday. The match will take place after 5:20 PM IST at the Utility Arena in Birmingham.
In India the live streaming will be done on JioHotstar app and website.
