Defending champions Indonesia have been the team to beat in the competition, but the Indian men’s team has shown its mettle by beating Malaysia and Denmark to make its first-ever final of the prestigious tournament.
Going into the final, India will look to prove that it possesses the wherewithal to pull the rugs from under the feet of their fancied rivals.
While Indonesia have been relentless with an unbeaten record, India have lost just one match — against Chinese Taipei in the group stage — so far in the competition.
If Indonesia disposed off China and Japan in the knockout stage, India went past five-time former champions Malaysia and 2016 winner Denmark.
The poster boys of Indian men’s badminton — Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy — have shouldered the responsibility with an invincible record of five wins, while the country’s best doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty put their hands up whenever the chips were down.
