In Amrutha Pramuthesh and Ashith Surya’s case, the journey to the BWF World Championships is all about opportunity, belief and a little bit of luck. The Indian mixed doubles pair went from the state level to one of the biggest stages of badminton.
The journey is even more special because they were last minute entrants. Rather than going to the World Championships, the two had a chance to go up against some of the world’s best players.
The two were among India’s reserve combinations for the 2026 BWF World Championships. Their placement in the wider Indian setup showed how competitive the country’s mixed doubles pool has become.
For the players who are still building their careers, it’s almost unrealistic to have a shot at a World Championships. It’s a whole different level from domestic competitions. The atmosphere is bigger, the opponents are stronger and every point is extra pressure.
But Amrutha and Ashith did not just consider their appearance as a sightseeing opportunity. They walked onto the court knowing, by that point in time, that they had earned their place and had a chance to test themselves against the international competition.
The Way That Started Much Closer to Home
But the great part of their story is how far they have come. So far they did not have a place among the top badminton stars in the world as individuals. Like all Indian players, they had to go through domestic competitions and smaller international events.
But the progress of these players shows why domestic tournaments are still so important in Indian badminton. To develop the skills to compete at the higher level of the game you need regular competition.
Ashith and Amrutha have already played together on the international scene. They played in tournaments such as the India Open and Malaysia Masters with the experience of playing against established pairs. So far the 2026 World Championships were the first step on that path.
The pair were ranked 48th in the mixed doubles qualification rankings according to the qualification data. That ranking itself shows the progress they had made before getting their World Championships opportunity.
Amrutha and Ashith’s experience is much more than one tournament. Playing at this level is where they get a sense of what separates the best international pairs from the rest.
They can learn from the speed of the rallies, the quality of serves and returns and top players handling pressure. And they can learn so much from it as they go on.
A Dream moment on the biggest stage
For any badminton player to make the World Championships is a major achievement. For a couple who came in at the last minute, the moment is even more significant for a pair who came together in the last few minutes and won.
Their story also tells you something about the depth of Indian badminton. India has established stars like PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen and the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. But a new crop of players are still in the mix for opportunities on the international circuit.
Ashith and Amrutha are part of that next group.
Their road has not been easy. Mixed doubles is one of the most demanding formats in badminton because both players need to work together almost instinctively. The pair must cover the court, attack and defend as a unit and make quick decisions during fast rallies.
A small mistake can change the direction of an entire game.
And so their World Championships experience is particularly valuable. That’s even if the result doesn’t go their way against the top international pairs, but these are lessons that can’t always be learned in the domestic tournaments.
The pair’s story also demonstrates why players should keep fighting when they are not initially selected to the main squad. A reserve does not mean the opportunity is over. In sport, circumstances are rapidly changing and players who stand up and fight will suddenly find themselves on the biggest stage.
India's 2026 World Championships squad is packed with some of the country’s biggest names, while Ashith and Amrutha were reserve mixed doubles combinations. And their path from there to a World Championships appearance is one of the most inspiring ones on the Indian badminton team.
If you are a young badminton player watching them, the message is crystal clear: You don’t have to start out as a star to make it to the biggest tournaments. Consistency and hard work and preparedness to seize an opportunity can change careers drastically.
Amrutha and Ashith now have something even more valuable than a ranking point or a tournament result. They have the experience of stepping onto the World Championships stage.
They may have been on a different path to the world stage from state level competition, but that’s part of what really makes it memorable.
A last minute opportunity turned into a dream come true. And for this young Indian mixed doubles team, the World Championships might just be the start of a bigger stage.
