PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy Aim for Comeback at Malaysia Masters 2025
Indian badminton stars PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy are set to spearhead the nation’s campaign at the Malaysia Masters Super 500 tournament, which begins Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur. With a prize pool of USD 475,000, the tournament presents a vital opportunity for the duo to regain form and confidence following recent setbacks.
Both Sindhu and Prannoy have endured a rough patch in recent months, with inconsistent performances and injury concerns hampering their progress. Their most recent outing — the Sudirman Cup — saw them suffer defeats against opponents from Indonesia and Denmark. However, with a two-week break since then, the seasoned shuttlers will be keen to bounce back at the Axiata Arena.
Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist and currently ranked world number 16, will open her campaign against Japan’s Natsuki Nidaira (world number 20). Prannoy, now ranked 35th, faces a stiff challenge in his opener against fifth seed Kenta Nishimoto of Japan.
In the women’s singles category, Malvika Bansod, who finished runner-up at the 2024 Hylo Open, will take on Chiu Pin-Chian of Chinese Taipei. Rising star Unnati Hooda, a Taipei Open Super 300 semifinalist, is drawn against compatriot Lin Hsiang Ti. Aakarshi Kashyap will square off against Indonesia’s eighth seed Putri Kusuma Wardani.
In men’s singles, Sathish Karunakaran — champion of the 2023 Odisha Masters and 2024 Guwahati Masters — will have a tough task against top seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark. Promising talent Ayush Shetty, a world junior championships bronze medallist, will face Canada’s Brian Yang, while Priyanshu Rajawat takes on Jia Heng Jason Teh of Singapore.
In mixed doubles, world number 19 pair Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto will begin against a qualifier. Other Indian duos in the fray include Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde, who face the fourth-seeded Chinese pair Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui, and Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh, who are up against top seeds Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin. Sathish Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath will also compete, taking on Malaysia’s Roy King Yap and Valeree Siow.
In men’s doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi will represent India, while women’s doubles will feature Indian teams Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi, Vaishnavi Khadkekar and Alisha Khan, and Prerana Alvekar and Mrunmayee Deshpande.
In the qualifiers, veterans like Kidambi Srikanth, along with young prospects S Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian and Tharun Mannepalli, will vie for a spot in the men’s singles main draw. On the women’s side, Anmol Kharb and Tasnim Mir will aim to secure qualification.
Other Indian entries in the qualification rounds include the mixed doubles pair Mohit Jaglan and Lakshita Jaglan, and Shivam Sharma and Poorvisha S Ram.
With several top-tier and emerging talents participating, India will be hoping for a strong showing at the Malaysia Masters to set the tone for the rest of the season.
