Kidambi Srikanth

Indian badminton player who became world number 1 in 2018 and won four Super Series titles in 2017, plus World Championships silver in 2021.

Born on February 7, 1993, in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, Kidambi Srikanth emerged from a middle-class family with no sporting background to become India's most accomplished men's singles badminton player. His father worked as a civil engineer while his mother was a homemaker. Srikanth began playing badminton at age eight at a local club in Guntur before moving to Hyderabad to train at the Gopichand Badminton Academy under renowned coach Pullela Gopichand. Srikanth's breakthrough came in 2014 when he won the China Open Super Series, becoming the first Indian male shuttler to claim a Super Series title. His meteoric rise peaked in 2017, a historic year in which he captured four Super Series titles: the Indonesia Open, Australia Open, Denmark Open, and French Open. This unprecedented achievement propelled him to world number one ranking in April 2018, making him only the second Indian after Saina Nehwal to reach the summit of world badminton rankings. His most significant achievements include reaching the semifinals of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where he became the first Indian male shuttler to achieve this feat. At the World Championships, he won a silver medal in 2021 and bronze in 2022. Srikanth also contributed to India's historic Thomas Cup victory in 2022, the country's first-ever triumph in the prestigious team championship. He claimed silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and bronze at the 2014 edition. Srikanth's playing style, characterized by exceptional court coverage, deceptive shot selection, and powerful attacking game, revolutionized Indian men's badminton. His success broke new ground for male Indian shuttlers on the international circuit, inspiring a generation of players to pursue the sport professionally. His achievements have elevated India's status in world badminton and demonstrated that Indian men can compete at the highest levels of the sport consistently.

Aggressive attacking style with powerful smashes and deceptive drops

Pioneered Indian men's singles badminton on global stage

• BWF World Championships Silver 2021
• Commonwealth Games Silver 2018
• Asian Games Bronze 2018