India made an emphatic start to their men’s badminton team campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, defeating Bangladesh 3-0 on Monday, September 21.
Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty and experienced campaigner Kidambi Srikanth won their respective singles matches in straight games at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium. Their three victories settled the first-round tie before either of the scheduled doubles matches needed to be played.
The result sends India into the quarterfinals, where they are scheduled to face hosts Japan on Tuesday.
Lakshya Sen Gives India a Flying Start
Lakshya Sen set the tone for India with a dominant victory over Bangladesh’s Ayman Ibn Jaman.
Sen won the opening singles encounter 21-4, 21-12, putting India 1-0 ahead. The comprehensive result immediately gave India control of the team contest and left Bangladesh needing a response in the second singles match.
For India, Sen’s performance provided exactly the kind of start required in a knockout team format, where early momentum can quickly put pressure on the opposition.
Ayush Shetty Doubles India's Advantage
Ayush Shetty ensured Bangladesh could not turn that momentum around.
Facing Gourab Singha in the second singles match, Shetty produced another comfortable straight-games performance, winning 21-4, 21-13. His victory extended India's advantage to 2-0 and left the team only one match away from securing its quarterfinal place.
The scorelines from the opening two contests underline India's control: Sen and Shetty conceded only 33 points combined across four games.
With two wins already secured, the responsibility of completing the tie fell to one of India's most experienced players.
Kidambi Srikanth Completes the 3-0 Sweep
Kidambi Srikanth delivered the decisive third victory against Bangladesh’s Al Amin Jumar.
The former world No. 1 won in straight games, 21-15, 21-9, giving India an unassailable 3-0 lead and ending Bangladesh's chances of progressing.
With the overall contest already decided after the three singles encounters, the remaining doubles matches were not required.
It meant India completed its opening men's team assignment without dropping a game across the three matches that were played.
India vs Bangladesh: How the Tie Unfolded
India's victory was built entirely through the three singles matches. Lakshya Sen opened the tie by defeating Ayman Ibn Jaman 21-4, 21-12, giving India the first point.
Ayush Shetty then strengthened India's position with a 21-4, 21-13 victory over Gourab Singha. That result moved India into a commanding 2-0 lead.
Kidambi Srikanth subsequently closed the contest by beating Al Amin Jumar 21-15, 21-9. His victory secured India's third consecutive straight-games win and confirmed the 3-0 overall result.
Because India had already secured the three points necessary to win the team tie, there was no need to play the two doubles matches.
Why the 3-0 Result Matters for India
The significance of the result goes beyond qualification.
India advanced without dropping a game in any of the three completed matches. The team also settled the contest entirely through singles, meaning its doubles combinations were not required to take the court.
That leaves India moving into the next round after a relatively efficient opening contest, although the level of opposition is expected to rise significantly in the quarterfinals.
India also arrived at Aichi-Nagoya with a strong recent Asian Games badminton record. The men's team won silver at Hangzhou 2023, while Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty captured a historic men's doubles gold and HS Prannoy earned bronze in men's singles.
Hosts Japan Await in the Quarterfinals
India's next challenge will be considerably tougher.
The Indian men's team is scheduled to face hosts Japan in Tuesday's quarterfinal, with Japan having advanced after defeating Uzbekistan 3-0.
Japan possess considerably stronger options across both singles and doubles, making the quarterfinal a different test from India's opening encounter against Bangladesh.
Potential match-ups highlighted before the tie included Lakshya Sen against Kodai Naraoka and Ayush Shetty against Yushi Tanaka, while India's leading men's doubles combination of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty could also have an important role. Actual match-ups will depend on the line-ups submitted for the quarterfinal.
India Begin Medal Push With a Clean Sweep
India could hardly have asked for a more controlled opening result in the men's team event.
Sen established the advantage, Shetty doubled it and Srikanth completed the job. All three did so without requiring a deciding game.
The 3-0 victory over Bangladesh now gives way to a more demanding quarterfinal against Japan as India attempt to build on the men's team silver they won at the previous Asian Games.
For India, the Bangladesh tie demonstrated the depth of its singles line-up. The Japan encounter should provide a much clearer indication of how far that strength can carry the team in the knockout rounds.
