In the Shadow of Satwik and Chirag, Two Teenagers Find Their Own Rhythm

The headband. The soft touches at the net. The rip-roaring smashes from the back. The celebrations after a thrilling victory over a tricky opponent.

In the last few years, the men’s doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty has given Indian badminton fans many such moments — instances where everything mentioned above combined to create a memorable sporting spectacle.

At the same time, the pair has inspired a new generation of doubles players who now spend countless hours in training halls, hoping to one day reach similar heights.

Among them are Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu, who reached the quarterfinals of the BWF World Junior Championships at the National Centre of Excellence (NCE) in Guwahati on Thursday with a 13-15, 15-9, 15-13 win over Chinese Taipei’s Yi Hsuan Chen and Chun Yen Chu at the National Tennis Center. By the time the latter drove the shuttle into the net on the second match point, the Indian duo’s chemistry was such that when they dropped their racquets, even those fell in sync.

When asked whether they expected a call from Satwik and Chirag, who are playing at the Denmark Open Super 750 this week, Viswa smiled and said, “Not tonight. Tomorrow, after we win.”

In perfect tandem, Bhargav and Viswa are shaping the next chapter of India’s doubles dream.
| Photo Credit:
PTI

The two 18-year-olds fought hard after a slow start in the opener and even managed to save five game points. Riding on that confidence, Bhargav and Viswa clinched the next two games to become the first Indian men’s pair since 2018 to reach the last-eight stage. “The kind of lead we covered in the first game, shuttle connect ho gaya tha. Then we took a lead in the second. Wo feel aa gaya tha. We were confident that we could win,” said Viswa, who wears a headband like Chirag, finally catching his breath after a humdinger of a contest.

Bhargav and Viswa, both from Andhra Pradesh — the same state as Satwik — may not yet be towering figures on court like their seniors, but they pack a punch, something they have worked on since their third-round exit at last year’s edition in Nanchang, China. “We didn’t have as much power back then as we have now. Even body movement and speed has improved,” said Bhargav.

Their improved reflexes were on display during the decider. Trailing 9-10, Viswa lost his balance mid-rally, yet managed two sensational reflex returns from the floor against relentless body shots before sending the third one wide. “While playing on home ground, I don’t want to concede even a single point. That energy is there, especially since we were playing on the centre court,” he said.

Another crucial factor in their win over Chen and Chu was the inputs from their coach Ivan Sozonov. “He had been telling us since last night that they rely a lot on drives and don’t block much. He told us not to drive a lot but to control the pace and return slowly so that they would commit the mistake. In the end, that worked,” revealed Viswa.

Russia’s Sozonov, a former Top-10 doubles player, believes both teenagers — who idolise Satwik and Chirag — should learn specific aspects of their game while retaining their own style. “Satwik’s work on the backcourt is something Viswa must learn. How Chirag covers the net is an example for Bhargav. If you have that kind of habit to learn from the best players, it’s great. And you don’t need to be super smart to learn from a lot of players. Not just Satwik-Chirag but all Top 10 players in the world are excellent. You can grab something special from everyone. You try to repeat what they do while also bringing something special from your side. Learning how they read situations sometimes is very important,” he said.

Between Bhargav and Viswa and a historic first-ever men’s doubles medal for India at the Junior World Championships stand China’s Chen Jun Ting and Liu Jun Rong, the reigning Asian Junior Champions. Ting and Rong had defeated the Indians in their only previous meeting, in the round of 16 at last year’s Asian Junior Championships.

Viswa, who plans to wear a special headband gifted by Chirag during the quarterfinals, is confident of changing the result this time. “Last time when we faced them, it was our first-ever event for India. Now, we are a bit experienced. We have played three times for the country. Wo power, wo speed pata hai kaise khelna hai,” he said.

Published on Oct 17, 2025