In India’s impressive run at the Thomas Cup last week, the performance of one shuttler stood out. Playing the prestigious men’s team championships for the first time, the unassuming Ayush Shetty put up a terrific display to guide India to bronze, only the second time India medalled at the Thomas Cup after the historic title-winning show in 2022.
In five matches in Horsens, the 21-year-old won four, beating shuttlers ranked much higher than him. What stood out most was his composure in crucial stages, handling pressure with maturity beyond his years.
Some of the deceptive net shots he produced at key moments were outstanding, displaying the kind of confidence, rhythm and form he has gained following his run at the Asia Championships.
In Ningbo last month, the Mangaluru-resident beat Li Shi Feng, Jonatan Christie and Kunlavut Vitidsarn — all top 7 players — on the trot to become the first Indian singles shuttler to reach the Asia Championships final in 61 years.
“To play my first Thomas Cup, especially with the team that won in 2022, was a really special feeling. I’ve watched them all these years. Now, playing alongside them was really special,” Shetty told HT.
“There were definitely some nerves but I was very excited. And I think I did pretty good. The goal was to win all matches. Winning a medal is a really good achievement. But the title was the only goal, so the semi-final loss (to France) was a bit disappointing. But overall, I played good badminton and had some good wins.”
Undoubtedly, Shetty’s most impressive win was against world No.8 Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei, the reigning All England champion who also won the India Open here in January. According to Shetty’s coach U Vimal Kumar, Lin has the “best attack on the circuit currently”. Shetty too doesn’t think differently, calling the win against the southpaw his most “satisfying” victory.
“I played really solid against him. The goal was to not give him a chance at the back and not allow him to attack more. I was also solid in my defence (something Shetty considers his weakness). That is something I did pretty well,” said Shetty.
“I was attacking really well and was dominating the net, pushing shuttles early and giving good lengths, not giving slow lifts. At times he managed to attack but even my defence was really good which made his lose confidence during his attacks. That made the difference.”
Shetty’s display was nothing short of breathtaking, delivering a performance to remember. The Indian’s ability to balance fearless attack with disciplined defence left Lin searching for answers. To dominate at that level, and under that kind of pressure, spoke volumes about his temperament and potential, reflecting his belief and preparation.
“I was really confident that I could play at this level. My attack and body language were really good; that is something I have been working on. It was a confidence booster, after the (Asia Championships) final, to play the Thomas Cup,” said Shetty.
“I was following the same strategy (that I did in Ningbo) which was to play more aggressive and keep up the attack. It which worked well.”
Shetty’s rise is an encouraging sign for Indian men’s badminton which is witnessing former world No.1 Kidambi Srikanth and the seasoned HS Prannoy in the twilight of their careers. Once they retire, it will be academy mate Lakshya Sen and Shetty who will be taking, or have already taken over the mantle.
And it was clearly visible in Horsens with Sen expectedly playing the first singles with Shetty following up with the second rubber, delivering against top opponents. Which is nothing new, given the number of top shuttlers Shetty has beaten of late. But he still considers himself a “work in progress”, eager to bridge the gaps, like the loss to world No.4 Christo Popov of France in the semis.
“I could have done much better. In hindsight, I could have been more patient. There were times when I was hurrying into points. I should have been a bit more patient and stayed in the rally,” said the world No.18.
It’s been a month since Shetty has been training under Irwansyah, who also coaches former world champion PV Sindhu. The Indonesian has intensified and elongated the training sessions as Shetty wants to better his endurance, get fitter, stronger and faster.
“We are working on pretty much everything. Even the attack. Even though I am attacking well, I need to have more variation to create opportunities. I have been playing at a good intensity but I can definitely get much stronger and be more fit,” said Shetty.
“It’s work in progress. We are training really hard. All the sessions have been really tough. That’s helping me. We practice a lot. I am more confident on my defence now. The goal is to keep the shuttle down. But at times when you have to lift, give good lifts and wait for the opponent to play a loose shot. There is a lot of room for improvement and we are working on it.”
Shetty will next play at the Thailand Open in Patumwan which starts on Tuesday.
