Ayush Shetty, remember the name. A new era of Indian badminton begins. Just 20 years old, ranked outside the elite, the Indian shuttler stands on the brink of history as he has stormed into the final of the Badminton Asia Championship 2026, defeating none other than the reigning world No.1 and defending champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn in a stunning semifinal comeback.
In a tournament where India's biggest names like Lakshya Sen, PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy fell early, Shetty refused to follow the script and secured the silver medal.
Ayush Shetty vs Kunlavut Vitidsarn
Shetty remains the only Indian in the tournament and in the semifinal the 20-year-old was written off after losing the first game 10-21.
But what followed was pure magic. He recalibrated, fought for every rally, and turned the match around 21-19, 21-17 in a 75-minute battle. Tall at 6'5", he used his reach and power like a weapon, just like the badminton great Viktor Axelsen, throwing monstrous jump smashes and mid-court down hits.
Even before that semifinal, his journey had already entered the history books of the Indian sport. He knocked out the world No.4 Jonatan Christie in the quarterfinals 23-21, 21-17. He saved two game points in the first game and in the second maintained a 11-9 lead at the interval. Shetty won the match with Christie hitting the net on match point and secured India's first men's singles medal since 2018.
He had reached the quarterfinals with win over the world no.20 Chi Yu-jen of Chinese Taipei 21-16, 21-12 in a match that looked simple but had its own story. The first game started with neck-to-neck battle, with both players level early on, before Chi surged ahead to a 10-6 lead. But, Shetty responded with maturity beyond his years. He clawed his way back to 12-12, capitalized on his opponent's unforced errors, and then accelerated to an 18-14 lead before closing the game.
In the second, he took control right from the start, building a 4-0 lead, maintaining an 11-7 cushion at the interval, and never really letting the match slip out of his grip.
Ayush Shetty Chasing History
Now, he stands one win away from something Indian badminton hasn't seen in over six decades, a men's singles gold at the Badminton Asia Championships. Not just that, he could become only the second Indian in singles and the third overall to ever achieve it. The last time an Indian reached the final in this tournament was Dinesh Khanna, who went on to win the gold in 1965, the only Indian singles player to do so.
Who Will Shetty Face in Badminton Asia Championship 2026 Final?
He will face will face either Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien Chen or China's Shi Yu Qi in the 2026 Badminton Asia Championships men's singles final. The match will take place on Sunday, April 12.