Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (born 13 August 2000) is an Indian badminton player who competes in men’s doubles with Chirag Shetty. Together they are India’s most successful doubles pair: they won the Thomas Cup and Commonwealth Games gold in 2022, the Asian Championships and Asian Games gold in 2023, and in October 2023 became the first Indian pair to be ranked world number one. Rankireddy is famous for his powerful smash, once measured at 565 km/h.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Satwiksairaj Rankireddy |
| Born | 13 August 2000, Amalapuram, Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Age | 26 |
| Sport | Badminton (men’s doubles) |
| Partner | Chirag Shetty |
| Height | 1.84 m |
| Training base | Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy, Hyderabad |
| Honours | Arjuna Award (2020), Khel Ratna (2023) |
Early Life
Satwik was born in Amalapuram in the Godavari delta. His father, Kasi Viswanatham, a physical education teacher and former state-level player, was his first coach, and his elder brother also played. He moved to the Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad in 2014 and chose doubles over singles.
Career
The Malaysian coach Tan Kim Her put him together with the Mumbai player Chirag Shetty in 2016, with Satwik attacking from the back of the court and Chirag controlling the net. They won silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and their first major title at the Thailand Open in 2019.
They won all their matches as India beat Indonesia to win the Thomas Cup for the first time, took the Commonwealth Games gold in Birmingham and won bronze at the World Championships, India’s first medal there in men’s doubles. They also won the French Open.
They won the Asian Championships in Dubai, India’s first gold in the event in 58 years, the Indonesia Open, a Super 1000 event, and the gold medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, India’s first in badminton. They reached number one in the rankings in October 2023. A smash by Rankireddy measured in controlled conditions in Japan at 565 km/h was recognised by Guinness World Records.
At the Paris Olympics they lost in the quarter-finals to Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik. Rankireddy’s father died in February 2025. The pair won a second World Championships bronze in Paris in August 2025.
Awards and Honours
Major Medals
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Satwiksairaj Rankireddy born?
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy was born on 13 August 2000 in Amalapuram, Andhra Pradesh, India and is 26 years old.
What honours has Satwiksairaj Rankireddy received?
Arjuna Award (2020), Khel Ratna (2023).
Featured image: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (right) and Chirag Shetty (left) at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reception for the Commonwealth Games contingent, New Delhi, 13 August 2022. Photo by Prime Minister’s Office, licensed under Government Open Data License – India, via Wikimedia Commons.
