NEW DELHI: Who after Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu? The question had hovered over Indian badminton for around a decade, with no expert able to provide an answer. Until, perhaps, now.
In a bright scenario, there are currently five Indians in the top 10 of the world junior rankings. And one of them has made a big impact.
Junior world No.1 Tanvi Sharma became only the third Indian female to reach the final of the BWF World Junior Championships earlier this month. Only Aparna Popat (silver in 1996) and Saina (silver in 2006, gold in 2008) had reached there earlier. Tanvi lost in the final to Thailand’s Anyapat Phichitpreechasak in Guwahati, but she made an impact in that run to be seen as the possible next big thing in Indian badminton.
“Tanvi reaching the final is truly a remarkable achievement, a very encouraging sign for Indian badminton. This performance will undoubtedly inspire many young girls across the country, particularly at a time when people often ask, ‘Who after Sindhu and Saina?’,” national selector and former chief coach U Vimal Kumar told HT from Bengaluru.
“Her playing style is very much in line with our traditional strengths — she uses her deceptive clears with great effect and shows excellent touch and control at the net. With a bit more strength and physical development, she will become an even more formidable player. What stands out most is her ability to overcome higher-ranked players at such a young age, a quality that sets apart future champions.”
Only 16, Tanvi has achieved the top ranking in juniors — a category for players until they are 19. The girl from Hoshiarpur, Punjab has already beaten many established players and even reached the US Open final in June, a Super 300 event, reflecting her potential.
She won the 2024 Bonn International and 2025 Denmark International — lower tier events — apart from reaching the Odisha Masters final last year. She also clinched a bronze at the Asian Junior Championships in July.
“She’s got a very bright future. She’s hardworking, has good strokes, her shot quality is good, plays good drop shots, good half smashes, even from the net. She uses variation very well, like hold and flick or hold and push. Basically, she knows her point-winning shots,” national coach and former world No.6, Parupalli Kashyap, told HT from Saarbrucken, Germany.
“Overall, she has to develop a lot but a World Juniors final is a very good stepping stone, gives you confidence that you can perform at the highest level. She is a good fighter and doesn’t make easy errors, which is one of her very good qualities. In a top player, you always look for the ability to fight for every point.”
Many Indian players have done well at the junior level in the past. Siril Verma (silver in 2015), Sankar Muthusamy (silver in 2022) and Ayush Shetty (bronze in 2023), among others, won medals at the junior worlds but none has made an impact while transitioning into the senior level.
It will be important that Tanvi, coached by South Korean Park Tae Sang, who guided Sindhu to bronze at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, continues to progress. Afterall, performance at the World Juniors is only an indicator of a player’s potential.
“The goal always has to be seniors. There is a world of difference to juniors. That is why we’ve seen so many transitions not happening as expected. This result should only spark that ambition and goal in seniors. I’m hopeful because she competed in seniors where she at least had one serious performance (US Open final). But there is a long way to go,” former international Ajay Jayaram told HT from Mumbai.
“The next couple of years will determine where she actually reaches. When you’re a junior, people are still developing in terms of fitness, strokes and nuances of the games. A lot of people peak post 16, 17, 18, or even 19.”
It is perhaps the right time for Tanvi to transition to at least the entry level events on the BWF World Tour. Saina and Sindhu were already winning grand prix and Superseries level events in their late teens. For Tanvi to follow suit, she must start delivering at the lower tier of senior events.
“You might have more exposure compared to a lot of juniors from other countries who don’t play as many tournaments. That’s why you end up winning certain events or having a high ranking. That’s why when you play seniors, it’s a world of risk. That would be the true milestone that you eventually need to step up to,” added Jayaram, who works with Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ), which supports Tanvi.
“She needs to be a serious contender, at least at the Super 100 or 300 level in the next couple of years. That should be the goal. She should look at the transition right now. She’s super-skilled, technically very sound, has a good amount of deception and fairly smooth footwork. She has excellent potential to fill that gap we have seen beyond Saina and Sindhu.”
