BWF World Championships: Dhruv-Tanisha ease into round of 16 with 21-11, 21-11 win
Synopsis
Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto swept past Macao 21-11, 21-11 to become India's last hope in mixed doubles at the BWF World Championships — and their next test is the sixth-seeded Chinese pair. With Ayush Shetty's giant-killing act against defending champion Shi Yu Qi already making headlines, India's badminton campaign is building real momentum.
Key Takeaways
Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto beat Macao's Leong Iok Chong and Ng Weng Chi 21-11, 21-11 to reach the mixed doubles round of 16 at the BWF World Championships .
The 15th-seeded pair are India's only remaining mixed doubles combination after Rohan Kapoor–Ruthvika Gadde and Ashith Surya–Amrutha Pramuthesh both exited.
Dhruv and Tanisha next face 6th seeds Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui of China in the round of 16.
The duo reached their career-best ranking of World No.
15 in May 2025 and are playing their second BWF World Championships.
Ayush Shetty caused a major upset by eliminating defending champion Shi Yu Qi in the opening round.
Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly upset 16th seeds Allison Lee and Lauren Lam in women's doubles on Day 2.
Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, India's 15th-seeded mixed doubles pair, advanced to the round of 16 at the BWF World Championships on Wednesday with a commanding 21-11, 21-11 victory over Leong Iok Chong and Ng Weng Chi of Macao at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi. Having received a first-round bye, the duo made their entry count with a clinical, straight-games win that took barely any time to settle.
India's Mixed Doubles Picture
Dhruv and Tanisha are now India's sole surviving pair in the mixed doubles draw. Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde bowed out in a hard-fought three-game battle against Canada's Jonathan Bing Tsan Lai and Crystal Lai, losing 22-20, 19-21, 17-21. Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh also exited after a close contest against Turkey's Emre Sonmez and Yasemen Bektas, going down 21-16, 29-30, 22-24.
What's Next for Dhruv and Tanisha
The pair, competing in their second BWF World Championships, will next face the formidable sixth-seeded Chinese combination of Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui in the round of 16. The match will be a significant step up in class — and a direct measure of how far the Indian pair have grown since their quarterfinal exit at the 2025 BWF World Championships in Paris. Notably, Dhruv and Tanisha reached their career-best ranking of World No. 15 in May 2025, and have previously won the 2023 Odisha Masters Gold and claimed silver at the 2024 Syed Modi International.
Other Indian Matches on Day 3
The day also features a packed schedule for other Indian shuttlers. Former champion PV Sindhu takes on Wen Yu Zhang of Canada in the women's singles, while Unnati Hooda faces 13th seed Michelle Li of Canada — one of the most experienced players in the draw. In men's singles, Lakshya Sen looks to build on his opening-round win against USA's Garret Tan, and Ayush Shetty — who stunned defending champion Shi Yu Qi in the opening round — takes on Dumindu Abeywickrama of Sri Lanka.
Doubles Highlights
Men's doubles pair M.R. Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan will face 15th seeds Kang Min Hyuk and Ki Dong Ju of Korea. Earlier on Day 2, India's top women's doubles combination of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly delivered another solid performance, upsetting 16th seeds Allison Lee and Lauren Lam. India's campaign across disciplines is gathering momentum heading into the business end of the tournament.
Point of View
21-11 scoreline flatters the occasion but not the pair — Dhruv and Tanisha have quietly become India's most consistent mixed doubles combination at the elite level, and a quarterfinal in Paris last year was no fluke. The real test arrives in the round of 16 against a sixth-seeded Chinese pair who will demand far more. Elsewhere, Ayush Shetty's demolition of defending champion Shi Yu Qi is the story mainstream coverage should not bury under team updates — upsets of that magnitude at a World Championship signal a genuine generational shift in Indian men's singles depth.
NationPress
19 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto perform at the BWF World Championships 2025?
Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto won their round of 32 match 21-11, 21-11 against Macao's Leong Iok Chong and Ng Weng Chi, advancing to the round of 16. The 15th-seeded pair had received a first-round bye and made a commanding start to their campaign.
Who will Dhruv and Tanisha face in the round of 16?
They will next face the sixth-seeded Chinese pair of Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui in the mixed doubles round of 16. It is a significant step up from their opening match against the unseeded Macao duo.
What is Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto's best result at the BWF World Championships?
Their best result so far is a quarterfinal finish at the 2025 BWF World Championships in Paris. They are now competing in their second World Championships appearance together.
Which Indian mixed doubles pairs have been eliminated from the BWF World Championships?
Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde lost to Canada's Jonathan Bing Tsan Lai and Crystal Lai 22-20, 19-21, 17-21, while Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh fell to Turkey's Emre Sonmez and Yasemen Bektas 21-16, 29-30, 22-24. Dhruv and Tanisha are now India's only remaining mixed doubles pair.
What other Indian matches are scheduled at the BWF World Championships?
PV Sindhu faces Canada's Wen Yu Zhang in women's singles, Unnati Hooda takes on 13th seed Michelle Li, Lakshya Sen plays USA's Garret Tan, and Ayush Shetty — who upset defending champion Shi Yu Qi — faces Dumindu Abeywickrama of Sri Lanka. Men's doubles pair M.R. Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan play Korea's Kang Min Hyuk and Ki Dong Ju.
