Sat-Chi put social media storm behind, begin Thailand Open on a winning note

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty returned to the court on Tuesday at Thailand Open 2026 under a heavy cloud of social media scrutiny. Following a hard-fought bronze at the Thomas Cup in Denmark, where India fell 0-3 to France in the semifinals, the world No. 4 pair found themselves at the centre of a storm, but they ensured they avoided an opening-round slip-up in Bangkok, beating Indonesian pair of Muhammad Putra Erwiansyah and Bagas Maulana in a hard-fought match in an hour and four minutes.

Entering Bangkok as top seeds, Sat Chi needed to let their rackets do the talking. They faced the Indonesian pair of Muhammad Putra Erwiansyah and Bagas Maulana. Any rust from the post-Thomas Cup break or mental fatigue from the social media scrutiny was tested immediately.

The Indians took the first game 21-19, showcasing their trademark aggressive front-court play. However, the Indonesians roared back in a tense second set. In a high-octane battle of nerves, Erwiansyah and Maulana edged out the Indians 23-21, forcing a decider and momentarily silencing the Indian camp.

The third game was where the class of the Brothers of Destruction finally separated them from their opponents. Shaking off the second-game slip, Satwik and Chirag dominated the decider with clinical precision, closing it out 21-10. The 65-minute victory was a testament to their resilience—a ugly win that was necessary to reset their season.

WHAT’S THE BACKDROP?

The controversy ignited when Satwik posted a poignant Instagram story upon landing in Hyderabad, featuring a photo of the team at a quiet airport. His caption, "Back home now. As usual, no one knows what happened over the past two weeks, and it seems like no one really cares," was quickly reshared by Chirag.

The two shuttlers spoke to India Today about their frustration and why they believe badminton players deserve greater recognition.

The remarks sparked a nationwide debate. While many fans sympathised with the lack of a "grand reception" for a global podium finish, others accused the duo of being entitled or seeking personal fame. Satwik later clarified that his "explosion" came from a place of concern for the sporting culture.

Satwik and Chirag will now take on Malaysia's Bryan Jeremy Goonting and Mumammad Haikal (ranked 93) in the second round.

Earlier on Tuesday, Malaysia's Olympic bronze medallist Lee Zii Jia, who returned to action after recovering from a right ankle injury and back issues, defeated India's Manav Choudhary 21-19, 21-18 in a qualifying match.In mixed doubles qualification, India's M Jaglan and L Jaglan lost 11-21, 18-21 to Chinese Taipei's Tsai Fu Cheng and Sung Yu Hsuan, while in women's singles qualification, Thailand's Y Ketklieng beat India's A Shahapurkar 21-5, 21-7.

Big guns, including PV Sindhu, Ayush Shetty and Lakshya Sen, will begin their singles campaign on Wednesday.

In women's singles, India have seven players in the 32-woman field: PV Sindhu, seeded sixth, Anmol Kharb, Malavika Bansod, Isharani Baruah, Tanvi Sharma, Devika Sihag, and Unnati Hooda.

In men’s singles, Lakshya (7) is the only seeded player from the country, which will also feature Ayush, Kidambi Srikanth, Tharun Manneppalli.