India made a promising start in the mixed doubles category at the Badminton Asia Championships 2025 as the duo of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto registered a spirited comeback win to reach the round of 16 on Tuesday.
Competing at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in the People’s Republic of China, the Indian pair showed resilience and composure to defeat Malaysia’s Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin in three games.
Ranked 18th in the world, Dhruv and Tanisha bounced back from a first-game setback to triumph 15-21, 21-12, 21-11 over the world No. 14 Malaysian pair in a contest that lasted 51 minutes. After a sluggish start, the Indians found their rhythm in the second game, dictating the pace and dismantling their higher-ranked opponents with aggressive net play and tactical precision.
Carrying the momentum into the decider, the Indian pair never looked back and wrapped up the final game with ease to book a pre-quarterfinal berth.
In another strong showing for India, Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh cruised through their opening round encounter against Sri Lanka’s Thulith Palliyaguru and Panchali Adhikari. The Indian pair won 21-9, 21-11 in a swift 20-minute match, making a confident entry into the round of 16.
However, it was not all smiles for the Indian contingent. The young duo of Sathish Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath faced a tough test against the world No. 3 Malaysian pair of Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai. Despite putting up a strong fight, they fell 21-18, 21-19 in straight games, bowing out of the tournament in the opening round.
Similarly, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde were involved in a tight battle against another Malaysian pair, Yap Roy King and Valeree Siow. The Indian duo took the first game 21-18 but couldn’t hold their lead, losing the next two games 21-17, 21-17 in a close contest.
With two Indian mixed doubles pairs advancing and two exiting, the focus now shifts to Wednesday’s action, where top Indian singles stars PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen will kick off their respective campaigns. Expectations will be high as India looks to continue its strong start in the prestigious continental championship.
