Four Indian entries, including PV Sindhu, seeded for 2026 World Championships
PV Sindhu was one of four Indian players or pairs awarded seeded positions for the BWF World Championships 2026, which will be staged at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi from August 17 to 23; Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were seeded fifth in men's doubles, Lakshya Sen was 14th in men's singles, and Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto took the 15th seed in mixed doubles.
India will field two entries in each of the five categories at the home World Championships and secured seeded places in four of those categories. Tournament qualification was determined by the BWF World Rankings as of April 28, 2026, while the final seedings were set using the world rankings released on July 28. The seeded positions reflect those rankings and the entries confirmed for the event on home soil.
Sindhu, seeded ninth in women's singles, arrives in New Delhi after ending a near three-year title drought on the BWF World Tour by winning the Japan Open Super 750, a run that included a victory over defending world champion Akane Yamaguchi. Her ninth seeding places her just outside the top eight, meaning she could meet higher-ranked opponents as early as the Round of 16.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the fifth seeds in men's doubles, won the Singapore Open Super 750 earlier this season, ending a two-year title drought on tour. Their preparations have been managed carefully after Satwik suffered a recurring shoulder strain that forced a mid-match retirement at the Japan Open, and the pair subsequently withdrew from the China Open to concentrate on rehabilitation ahead of the World Championships.
Lakshya Sen, seeded 14th in men's singles, reached the final of the All England Open Championships this season and eliminated world No. 1 Shi Yuqi en route to that final. His results on the BWF Tour since have been mixed, and the 14th seed provides protection from the highest-ranked opponents in the opening rounds.
Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto earned the 15th seed in mixed doubles after a series of consistent quarter-final and semi-final finishes on the World Tour, including a deep run at the Singapore Open. That top-16 seeding offers them a comparatively favourable early path in the draw.
Reigning world champion Shi Yuqi (China) takes the top seed; in women's singles world No. 1 An Se-young (South Korea) leads the seedings with defending world champion Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) second and China's Wang Zhi Yi and Chen Yufei third and fourth respectively. South Korea's Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae top the men's doubles draw, while China holds the top seeds in women's doubles (Liu Sheng Shu & Tan Ning) and mixed doubles (Feng Yan Zhe & Huang Dong Ping).
The official draw will take place in New Delhi on Wednesday, and the published seedings remain subject to minor adjustments should any seeded player or pair withdraw prior to that draw.