India launched their Thomas Cup campaign with a convincing 3-1 victory over Canada in their opening group match on Friday. Despite an early setback, the team rallied with strong performances in singles and doubles to secure the win comfortably.
Early setback for India
India found themselves on the back foot after Lakshya Sen lost a hard-fought match against Victor Lai. The young Indian shuttler fought valiantly but could not overcome his Canadian opponent, putting India in an early deficit.
Doubles duo turns the tide
The experienced doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty stepped in and shifted the momentum decisively. They dominated their match, winning comfortably and bringing India back into the contest with authority. Their commanding performance set the stage for India's comeback.
Youngsters seal the victory
Ayush Shetty delivered a confident performance in the second singles, defeating Brian Yang in straight games to give India the lead. Shortly after, the doubles pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and M R Arjun wrapped up the tie with a convincing win, making the final match unnecessary.
Dead rubber and women's team next
With the result already decided, Kidambi Srikanth was set to play a dead rubber. Meanwhile, attention will also turn to the Indian women's team, who are scheduled to begin their campaign against Denmark later in the day.
