Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships: Dhruv Kapila replaces injured Satwiksairaj Rankireddy

New Delhi [India], February 9 : In a setback for India, experienced doubles player Satwiksairaj Rankireddy pulled out of the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships 2023 to be held in Dubai from February 14.
In January, while competing in the India Open Super 750 badminton competition, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy strained his left hip adductor. Since then, Rankireddy and his partner Chirag Shetty haven't participated in any BWF World Tour competitions.
Dhruv Kapila, world No. 24 in BWF Rankings in the men's doubles, has replaced Satwiksairaj Rankireddy.
India's top-ranked men's doubles team, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty the World No. 6 have been extremely successful.
The team was instrumental in India's first-ever Thomas Cup victory and earned India's first medal at a global championship, a bronze in the men's doubles last year.
In addition, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won multiple matches on the BWF World Tour in 2022 and became the first men's doubles champions of India at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham.
Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu will lead India's effort in the women's singles at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships in 2023, while HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen will represent India in the men's singles.
Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly, a women's doubles duo, and Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Castro, a mixed doubles team, have also been chosen for the Indian squad for the competition.
India have been slotted in Group B with Commonwealth Games champions Malaysia, hosts UAE and Kazakhstan. The Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships will conclude on February 19.