After smashing start to year, teen shuttler Anupama ready for Sudirman Cup debut

At 19, city-based shuttler Anupama Upadhyaya will be one of the youngest members of the Indian squad picked for the upcoming Sudirman Cup, the world cup of sorts for badminton, set to begin in Xiamen, China, on April 27.

The youngster, currently ranked No. 45 in the world rankings, will get to share the locker room with Olympics star PV Sindhu. “It will be a great platform for me, and I will try to give my best for the country. Playing amid the likes of PV Sindhu, Lakshay Sen, Chirag Shetty, Tanisha Crasto and other senior members of the team,” she said.

The youngster’s strong run this year has seen her climb to No. 24 in the Tour rankings, which only take into account the points earned each season.

Earlier this month, the teenager played at the Badminton Asian Championships. She put up a brave face but went down against two-time World Champion Ratchanok Intanon from Thailand 13-21 14-21. The youngster chooses to look at the silver lining, saying, “It was a learning experience. Facing the two-time world champ was never going to be easy. I was nervous as well, but the likes of PV Sindhu, Aakarshi Kashyap supported me. Last year was pretty good for me, I won couple of events and cemented my place in the Indian squad. However, this time, I have to prove my mettle by winning as many as medals.”

Anupama had beaten compatriot and fellow teen sensation Anmol Kharb 21-14 21-13 at the Yonex Swiss Open 2025, before falling to fourth seed Putri Kusuma Wardani 21-17 21-19. Besides, she also had a win to show for at the India Open back in January.

Just the experience of playing on the big stage more regularly is coming in handy for the youngster. As recently as 2022, Anupama was looing low in the rankings. A breakthrough run to the Polish Open title year, however, saw her jump 43 spots to grab No. 84 spot. In the final, which lasted nearly 56 minutes, Anupama overcame a tough challenge by Aditi Bhatt 17-21 21-14 21-17.

A national championships title followed in Pune and she has been on an upward trajectory ever since.

At the Sudirman Cup, India are placed in Group D. The team will face tough opponents in the round-robin stage in the form of former champions Indonesia, two-time runners-up Denmark and a strong English side. India qualified for the tournament based on world rankings and will be eyeing a knockouts spot.

Chandigarh