Lakshya Sen Shines as India Storms into Thomas Cup Quarterfinals with 3-0 Win Over Chinese Taipei

India’s men’s badminton team, fueled by Lakshya Sen’s stunning victory over world No. 6 Chou Tien-chen, stormed into the Thomas Cup 2026 quarterfinals with a resounding 3-0 win over Chinese Taipei in Horsens, Denmark. This marks India’s second appearance in the top four in the tournament’s history, following their maiden semi-final appearance in 2022, which culminated in a historic title win.
Lakshya Sen, the Paris 2024 semi-finalist, set the tone for India’s charge with a thrilling three-game victory over Chou Tien-chen, winning 18-21, 22-20, 21-17 in under one-and-a-half hours. The Indian shuttler fought back from a game down to secure the win, showcasing his resilience and skill. The momentum continued with Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s doubles win over Wang Chi-lin and Chiu Hsiang-chieh, 23-21, 19-21, 21-12. The Indian pair’s victory gave them a 2-0 lead, putting pressure on the Chinese Taipei team.
Thomas Cup debutant Ayush Shetty sealed the Indian victory with a convincing 21-16, 21-17 win over world No. 8 Lin Chun-Yi, who had recently won the All England Open title. Ayush’s impressive performance was a testament to his growing skills and confidence.
With this win, India has guaranteed itself at least a bronze medal, as both losing semi-finalists secure a podium spot. The team will face either France or Japan in the Thomas Cup semis on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Indian women’s team, led by PV Sindhu, fell short of advancing past the group stage in the Uber Cup 2026, which is running parallel to the Thomas Cup .