India Open: Malvika Bansod looking forward to playing against Saina Nehwal

Rookie Malvika Bansod is no stranger to playing against the top players in the world of badminton. The young Indian shuttler had a good 2021 as she was the first choice singles player at the prestigious Sudirman Cup and Uber Cup.

Malvika was up against several top players in the world like Akane Yamaguchi of Japan, Kirsty Gilmour of Scotland and Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong.

She also won two international titles in 2021 - the Lithuania International and Uganda International titles.

Capping a wonderful year, Malvika triumphed in the Senior National Badminton tournament in Hyderabad, beating the top seed in the final.

Malvika Bansod started the new BWF season on a high when she beat compatriot Samiya Imad Farooqui 21-18, 21-9 in the first round of the India Open. The win has pitted her against one of India's best players, Saina Nehwal, who will be her opponent in the second round.

A visibly excited Malvika Basod said she was looking forward to playing against Saina Nehwal.

"I am really excited to play against Saina. This will be my first match against her. I am looking forward to playing well against her," she said after her first round win.

Throwing more light on her match against Samiya, Malvika said she took complete control of the match in the second game.

"Both of us started well. I found my rhythm later, like after seven or eight points in the first game. I did take the lead after that. I made a few silly errors, even after the first game point, but managed to cover them up well. In the second game, I upped my ante, opened up a big lead and managed to stay ahead of her," she explained.

Malvika Bansod takes confidence from international stint

Having played in the Sudirman Cup and Uber Cup, Malvika Bansod has a lot of learning up her sleeve.

Last year, PV Sindhu skipped both the Sudirman Cup and the Uber Cup while Saina Nehwal was injured after playing just one match in the Uber Cup.

The situation came as a blessing in disguise for Malvika as she became the first choice singles player for India.

"It (playing in the Sudirman Cup and the Uber Cup) helped me a lot in terms of confidence as I played with some of the biggest players. I could see them play and watch their routine from close quarters. It was a good learning experience," she said.

Malvika Bansod knows the road to success on the international stage is long and hard. The young badminton player has also made sure to introspect her game at regular intervals and knows where the gaps have to be plugged.

"On the international stage, the overall level of the game is high terms of intensity, strength, strategy, accuracy, power and stamina etc. The players have more experience. It is an overall game they are better at," she explained.