New Delhi, 17 April (H.S.): Indian women’s badminton suffered a major setback ahead of the Uber Cup, with the national doubles ace pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand ruled out of the tournament due to injury. The Badminton Association of India (BAI) announced on Friday that the duo, who has been sidelined since sustaining a shoulder injury to Treesa during the Swiss Open last month, will not be able to feature in the 2026 Uber Cup Finals.

The Board has named the combination of Shruti Mishra and Priya Konjengbam as replacements in the women’s team. The new pair is currently ranked 48th in the world and was among the leading domestic doubles teams that had been vying for top‑team opportunities.

Originally, Jolly and Gopichand had been working toward a comeback at the Badminton Asia Championships, but Treesa’s re‑injury has forced the team management to withdraw the pair from the Uber Cup campaign.

The women’s team will travel to Horsens, Denmark, where the Uber Cup is scheduled from April 24 to May 3, with the revamped doubles line‑up now expected to shoulder more responsibility.

The 10‑member women’s contingent will be led by double Olympic medallist P. V. Sindhu in the singles department. Youngsters Unnati Hooda, Tanvi Sharma, Devika Sihag, Isharani Baruah, and Tanisha Crasto have also been included, with Crasto adding depth across mixed and doubles formats.

The women’s doubles line‑up will now revolve around the newly‑entrusted pair of Shruti and Priya, alongside Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singh, as India seeks to compensate for the absence of its highest‑ranked women’s pair.

The coaches and selectors will be closely assessing the team’s readiness in the short camp before the tough group‑stage encounters in Denmark.

On the men’s side, the star doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty—currently ranked fourth in the world—will prepare for the Thomas & Uber Cup Finals in Denmark after missing the Swiss Open and the Badminton Asia Championships due to Satwik’s shoulder injury.

The men’s group includes a demanding draw featuring reigning champions China, Canada, and Australia, setting the stage for a high‑stake test of India’s depth and form.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar