The Unpredictable and Fascinating Development of Badminton Men’s Singles in the Post Lin Dan-Lee Chong Wei Era

Srikanth Kidambi (India, 25 years of age)

K. Srikanth

Srikanth Kidambi took the badminton world by storm last year when he won two back-to-back Superseries titles. His injury hampered his progress in the World Championship, but many believed that he is still a force to be reckoned after recovering from the injury. Such has not been the case. Srikanth has had a difficult year, with winning a gold medal for the team’s event in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games being his only accomplishment thus far.

The Indian is incredibly gifted – when he shocked Lin Dan to win the China Open title in 2014, badminton fans knew that this youngster has something special. Under the tutelage of Indian great Pullela Gopichand and former coach of Taufik Hidayat Mulyo Handoyo, Srikanth peaked in 2017 and appeared to be on course towards fulfilling his great potential. However, Handoyo’s departure, Srikanth’s injuries, and inability to deliver top performances consistently have let many of his fans down.

His steep smashes are second to none, his intelligence and awareness on the court are equally impressive, yet he simply could not maintain his form on a regular basis. He has lost way too many matches to opponents who are levels below him. If Srikanth still dreams about becoming a world class player and challenging for the Tokyo Olympics, he needs the guidance of another top coach who can get the best of him and help him regain his confidence.