Kidambi Srikanth finally gets his World Championship 2021 revenge

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3 min readMay 13, 2026 04:37 PM IST

FILE - Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth in action. (Express Photo)

That one win could’ve changed the trajectory of his career, though Kidambi Srikanth had come up against Loh Kean Yew who was the hurricane of Huelva at that World Championship in Spain circa 2021, with his speedy game.

Five years on, Srikanth finally defeated the Singaporean, who was eighth seed at the Thailand Open, leading start to finish, first point to last, in a low stakes breeze of a win, that makes badminton watchable in a standalone way.

The Indian, now 33, was pumped up alright against the 28-year-old, a freakish player who won the World’s and then not much else. But in his hailstorm of slam bang smashes at Huelva, with not much else in his game, he had denied the Indian a second World title for India.

Srikanth, who had defeated Loh only once before in their 4 meetings at Commonwealth games in 2018, had subsequently lost to him at the World’s 21-15, 22-20, in a typical belated rally in the second set. He lost again at Denmark in straight sets a year later, before a 3 set loss at the Asian Championship Round of 32.

When the win finally came at Thailand, it was a walk in the park for the Indian who jauntily bounced around the court and smashed at will. Just the once, Loh defended astonishingly as Srikanth rained down 5 different smash attempts, and the Indian allowed him to come up from 9-19 to 13-19, with a blitz, but Srikanth was strolling by then.

Srikanth, who has re-entered Top 30, plays Taiwanese Su Li Yang, ranked No 47. Srikanth had fallen out of Top 50 last July.

He led the seniors’ charge at Thailand, even as PV Sindhu advances to round 2 with a 21-9, 21-12 win over Tung Ciou-Tong. Lakshya Sen, seeded 7th, and in with a chance to get back in Top 10, hammered Jia Heng Jason Teh, 21-16, 21-17. He could run into Chinese Zhu Cuan Chen.

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Ayush Shetty lost steam against sixth seed Kodai Naraoka, losing 13-21, 21-17, 4-21, in a clear pointer to poor third set fitness, while Tharun Mannepalli never got going against Koki Watanabe, losing 21-12, 21-16.

Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More

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