Thomas Cup 2024: Indian men's team thrash England 5-0 to confirm quarterfinal spot

Defending champions India secured their place in the Thomas Cup 2024 quarterfinals with a comprehensive 5-0 victory against England in a Group C match held in Chengdu on Monday

In Short

• India reach quarterfinal of Thomas Cup with 5-0 win over England
• Prannoy, Satwik-Chirag, Srikanth, Arjun, Kapila and George all won
• Upcoming match against Indonesia to determine top spot in Group C

Defending champions India thrashed England 5-0 on Monday in Chengdu in a Group C encounter to assure themselves of a place in the Thomas Cup 2024 quarterfinals. HS Prannoy set the tone with a straight-game win over Harry Huang, scoring 21-15 in both sets. The doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty faced a challenging match against Ben Lane and Sean Vendy but ultimately triumphed in three games (21-17, 19-21, 21-15), demonstrating resilience and strategic prowess.

Kidambi Srikanth continued the winning streak by defeating Nadeem Dalvi in straight games (21-16, 21-11), effectively sealing the deal for India. The second doubles team, MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila, clinched the fourth point by overcoming Rory Easton and Alex Green with scores of 21-17 and 21-19.
Kiran George made it 5-0 with another straight-game win as he defeated Cholan Kayan 21-18, 21-12. This victory not only confirmed India's spot in the quarterfinals but also set up a highly anticipated match against Indonesia, which would decide the top position in Group C. Both teams had already qualified for the knockouts from what was considered the 'Group of Death', adding an extra layer of excitement to the upcoming games.

India vs England, Thomas Cup
MS1: HS Prannoy 21-15, 21-15 Harry Huang
MD1: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy – Chirag Shetty 21-17 19-21 21-15 Ben Lane – Sean Vendy
MS2: Kidambi Srikanth 21-16 21-11 Nadeem Dalvi
MD2: MR Arjun – Dhruv Kapila 21-17 21-19 Rory Easton – Alex Green
MS3: Kiran George 21-18 21-12 Cholan Kayan

India began their Thomas Cup title defence with a 4-1 victory over Thailand on Saturday. Current India No. 1 HS Prannoy lost in the first singles match to world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn. But there was a blip, as India's depth shone through with thrilling three-game victories for Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, while Lakshya Sen handed India the lead. Then MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila's doubles combo sealed India's victory, with Srikanth Kidambi adding the final touches. In the Uber Cup on Saturday, a youthful Indian women's team overcame Singapore to go to the knockout stage. Shivani Naik discusses this further here.

Published By:
Saurabh Kumar
Published On:
Apr 29, 2024