For 73 long years, the Thomas Cup, the world’s most prestigious men’s badminton team championship, remained out of India’s grasp. Since the tournament’s inception in 1949, qualifying itself was a rare feat. In fact, the 2022 edition marked only the 13th time out of a total of 32 that India had even made it to the competition. That’s how elite and unforgiving the tournament is.
For decades, India had produced extraordinary individuals: Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand with their All England titles, PV Sindhu’s double Olympic medals, but never before had we scaled the summit in a team event of this magnitude. The Thomas Cup win in 2022 was, by every measure, India’s 1983 Cricket World Cup moment, arguably even bigger for badminton.
The Road to Glory
India’s campaign didn’t start as a fairytale. A group-stage defeat to Chinese Taipei exposed vulnerabilities. But the knockout rounds brought out a different India: steely, united, and unflinching under pressure. In both the quarterfinal against 5-time champions Malaysia and the semifinal against Denmark, the ties were locked at 2-2. On both occasions, HS Prannoy, battling his own physical niggles, rose to the occasion. His win over Leong Jun Hao secured India’s first-ever Thomas Cup medal; his comeback victory against Rasmus Gemke booked our first final.
The Final Showdown
The last hurdle couldn’t have been taller, 14-time champions Indonesia, the most successful team in Thomas Cup history. Lakshya Sen, coming off illness and two straight losses in the quarters and semis, produced a stunning comeback after dropping the first game, giving India a 1-0 lead.
Then came the doubles magic. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, outstanding all tournament, saved four match points to clinch the second point. And fittingly, captain Kidambi Srikanth, undefeated in the competition, sealed the deal by beating Jonatan Christie. India won 3-0. Perfect.
Why It Was Monumental
This was more than a title. India became only the sixth nation in history to lift the Thomas Cup. Players like Srikanth and Prannoy, who hadn’t even qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, were now central to one of India’s greatest sporting achievements.
Yet, despite its scale, the triumph hasn’t been etched into our collective sporting memory like it deserves. The Thomas Cup win wasn’t just about a trophy, it was about belief, teamwork, and proving that India could be the best in the world in a sport long dominated by others.
No matter what the future holds, 2022 will forever be remembered as the year Indian badminton conquered the world.
