All England Badminton 2023: Saina Nehwal withdraws, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty’s opponents out too

India’s top men’s doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will take on compatriots Krishna Prasad Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala in their opening round game after the Indonesian pair of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo withdrew from the All England 2023 due to Sukamuljo’s ill-health, according to the All England website.
The Indian pairing of Satwik and Chirag had never beaten the Minions in 11 previous encounters.
Meanwhile, Olympic bronze medall Saina Nehwal also pulled out of the tournament. While an official reason was not led on the tournament website, she was replaced Singapore’s Yeo Jia Min.
So far, only two Indians – Prakash Padukone in 1980 and Pullela Gopichand in 2001 – have won the prestigious All England Championship. Three Indians – Prakash Nath, Saina and Lakshya Sen – have come close, but lost in the final.
The men’s doubles section also saw the withdrawal of Malaysians Man Wei Chong/Kai Wun Tee, who were replaced France’s Ronan Labar and Lucas Corvee.