Mumbai: Of the three Asian Games medals ever secured by Indian paddlers, two have a doubles stamp on it. Doubles remains Indian table tennis’ best bet to leave a mark at bigger events. Going into this year’s Asian Games, younger contenders have emerged to follow the path set by Sharath Kamal-Manika Batra (2018) and Sutirtha Mukherjee-Ayhika Mukherjee (2023).
Among them at the top is the mixed doubles combination of Manush Shah and Diya Chitale, a young pairing that has taken solid strides over the past year to rise to world No. 6 in the WTT rankings.
World rankings in doubles can sometimes feel like an illusion, and Indian TT has seen that in the past. It has also seen big-name partnerships, including those with Olympic medal-chasing ambitions, fizzle out after initial promise.
Manush and Diya, who became the first Indian pair to qualify for the prestigious WTT Finals last year, believe they are every bit of where they are right now – among the top pairs in the world – and where they can be in the years to come.
“We know we have earned this place, step by step. There is a lot of belief, of also building into something bigger,” said Manush, 25.
“We still have a lot of years to develop and keep improving,” said Diya, 23. “We were lucky that we started early, and that it clicked for us in the first few years.”
The start came in October 2023, when the two were not among the top players individually in the national set-up.
“We started as the No. 5s in the Indian team. We saw an opportunity to play with each other because we didn’t have any partners. In six months, we knew we had good potential,” said Manush.
Last year, after some success at WTT Feeders, that potential shot up a level higher.
The duo captured the 2025 WTT Contender Tunis title after beating Miwa Harimoto and Sora Matsushima, a top Japanese pair then, in the final. The breakthrough title was backed up by consistent results. They made a Star Contender final in Brazil, a quarter-final at the top-tier Smash in Singapore and secured deep runs in Contenders, including pocketing another title in Muscat this January.
“The Tunis title really gave us the confidence that we can win against the world’s top pairs. And being among the best 8 at the WTT Finals added to it,” said Diya.
The left-handed Manush, who is also the world No. 5 in men’s doubles with Manav Thakkar, and the right-handed Diya both describe each other as “aggressive players,” but they have complementary game styles.
“My game style is very aggressive, and Diya has tremendous control on the ball. She will put the ball back, and my job is to try and finish the point as soon as possible,” said Manush.
Initially unknown at the elite level, the young Indians surprised some established pairs. As they progressed higher, opponents came prepared to exploit their weaknesses.
“When you reach the top 5-6 pairs, they prevent you from attacking. So we had to learn how to get a better defensive game,” said Diya.
The passive game remains a work in progress, as do the receive and short game. For Diya, the key missing link in beating the best pairs – four in the top five are Asians – more frequently will be developing greater consistency in executing a basic high-level game.
“Sometimes we are able to play at a very high level, and sometimes not so much. We’ll have to get better at the consistency in skills,” said Diya.
That consistency will also come by strengthening their defensive and short game.
“Then, losses against lower ranked pairs will become lesser, and wins against the higher ranked will be more. That is our goal,” said Manush.
Also a big goal for this year is the Asian Games. Manush reckoned their combination thrives in faster conditions, like in Tunis. The slower conditions in Japan will be a challenge, and their seeding is crucial.
“Right now we’re in the 5-8 bracket, but if we can fight to make it into the 1-4, we can have a good draw,” said Manush.
In Hangzhou, Manush and Manav came within two points of stunning the top seeds in the quarters. Manush has lofty goals from doubles again, this time with Diya as well.
“The experience part is over, now is the time we make it count,” said Manush. “We will go into this Asian Games as strong contenders, and we will try to make the best use of our youth.”
“Winning an Asian Games medal,” said Diya, “is something we are working hard towards.”
