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World No. 10 men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will be carrying India's badminton hopes in doubles - a section in which the country has traditionally been weak over the years. The young Indian duo have won the Thailand Open and the Commonwealth Games silver medal, and have broken into the top 10 to establish themselves as a force.
However, the Tokyo Olympics will be a different ballgame altogether. Satwik and Chirag find themselves in a difficult Group A which is overflowing with talents. The Indians need to finish within the top two pairs of the group to be able to progress to the quarterfinals.
Satwik and Chirag open their debut Olympic campaign against the Chinese Taipei combine of Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin. The latter have been the best pair of the year and will undoubtedly pose a tough challenge for the young Indian stars.
Also read: Tokyo Olympics 2020: Analyzing Indian badminton doubles team Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy's chances in group stages
When and where to watch
Fixture: Satwiksairaj/Chirag Shetty vs Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin
Date: 24 July 2021
Time: 12.20 pm local time, 8.50 am IST
Round: Group A match
Live telecast: Doordarshan, Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 2 HD, Sony Ten 3, Sony Ten 3 HD, Sony Ten 4, Sony Ten 4 HD, Sony Six, Sony Six HD
Live streaming: Sony Liv
Satwiksairaj/Chirag Shetty vs Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin head-to-head
Satwiksairaj/Chirag Shetty and Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin have never crossed paths in the BWF circuit. So their head-to-head currently stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Satwiksairaj/Chirag Shetty vs Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin ranking
While Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin are ranked third in the world, the Indians are placed at the 10th spot.
Satwiksairaj/Chirag Shetty vs Lee Yang/Wang prediction
Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin made the brightest start to the season out of all men's doubles pairs. They went on a rampage in Thailand, collecting back-to-back titles at the Yonex Thailand Open, Toyota Thailand Open and BWF World Tour Finals 2020.
Yang and Chi-Lin's ability to cover every inch of the court and brilliantly convert defense into offense has paid rich dividends. It is evident from the fact that they have reached 10 finals on the BWF World Tour since the start of 2019, winning seven.
The Taipei duo will be arriving at the Olympics high on confidence and will be determined to continue their winning streak. The onus will be on the Indians not to let them get into a comfortable position.
Satwik and Chirag, who have reached two semifinals this year, do have the talent to put Yang and Chi-Lin in a difficult position. The Taipei pair will be looking to control the forecourt right from the word go and the Indians need to prevent that. They need to consistently find the gaps on the court and use more variety to break the rhythm of the Taipei pair.
However, Yang and Chi-Lin's experience at the highest level of the sport might pull them through in the end.
Prediction: Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin to win in three games.
