Published: September 6, 2026 at 7:42 pm
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the 2022 Asian Games gold medallists, made history on Sunday by capturing India’s first-ever title at the China Masters. The duo secured their second BWF World Tour Super 750 title of the season by defeating China’s He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu 11-21, 21-13, 21-17 at the Shenzhen Arena in China.
India’s top doubles pair Satwik and Chirag book another China Masters final in Shenzhen
The triumph made Satwik and Chirag the first Indian badminton players to win the China Masters since the tournament started in 2005. The China Masters badminton triumph was also Satwik and Chirag’s 10th career title on the BWF World Tour and their second of the 2026 season.
Sunday’s victory handed the Indian duo its fourth BWF Super 750 crown. They previously won the French Open at this level in 2022 and 2024 before lifting the Singapore Open title earlier this year.
Satwik-Chirag lose first game
The final capped off a demanding week for Satwik and Chirag, who spent over five hours on court across the tournament. The physical toll seemed evident early in the match, as the Chinese pair fed off the home crowd’s energy to comfortably take the opening game.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty win doubles title at the China Masters. Pics: Badminton Photo
However, playing in their third China Masters final after runner-up finishes in 2023 and 2025 and a semifinal finish in 2024, the Indians drew on their experience. They quickly found their rhythm and took the second game to push the match to a decider.
He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu, who won bronze at the Badminton Asia Championships earlier this year, raced to a 5-0 lead in the first game and maintained their advantage to take the opener.
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Satwik and Chirag conceded early points in the second game but drew level at 6-6. A three-point burst then helped the Indian shuttlers build momentum as they went into the mid-game interval 11-7 ahead.
The fourth-seeded Indian pair then stretched their advantage and, despite a brief fightback from He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu, won the final four points in the second game to force a decider.
Indian pair work their way back
The Indians then had to play catch-up once again in the deciding game after conceding the opening four points. They gradually worked their way back into the contest and drew level at 7-7 but were unable to move ahead as the Chinese pair continued to hold a slender 11-9 advantage at the interval.
Satwik and Chirag, in fact, also trailed 17-16 at one stage before a strong finish saw them win five consecutive points. They drew level at 17-all and took the lead for the first time in the game, closing out the contest to seal the title.
The victory extended Satwik and Chirag’s perfect head-to-head record against He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu to 3-0. The Indians had also beaten the Chinese pair at the China Masters 2023 and the Malaysia Open 2024.
This milestone win adds to a solid 2026 season for the pair, following their Singapore Open victory in May. Coming back from a game down against the home favorites provides a timely boost of momentum as they gear up to defend their Asian Games title later this month.
Satwik and Chirag will next turn their attention to the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, which gets underway on September 19. The badminton competition will run from September 20 to 29, with Satwik and Chirag heading to Japan as the reigning Asian Games men’s doubles champions.
