The Best! And Ruthlessly So

As the World No 2 male shuttler, Kidambi Srikanth is the new toast of the nation, as also of the world of badminton, where competition is getting increasingly ruthless.

- Nandini R Penna

Kidambi Srikanth has been enjoying one of the finest runs ever achieved by an Indian male player on the badminton circuit. Right now, the roller-coaster ride, which saw him conquer one notable player after another, has taken him just one step short of the ultimate pinnacle.

On meeting and interacting with him, one is left to wonder if this genial and soft-spoken individual can actually possess the killerinstinct and steely nerves that are paramount to survive in any professional sport.

But then, that is precisely what the 24-year-old has in rich measure, much to the discomfort of the finest of contemporary players from the sport’s powerhouses. They are bearing the brunt of this extraordinarily gifted Guntur native, who, like most from the current crop, has been training at the famed Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy (PGBA) in Hyderabad for quite a while now. His armory has every potent weapon required to demolish the opponents across the net, which is precisely what he has been doing this season.