There are those you can describe as men of few words. And then there is Kidambi Srikanth. Interviews with him are like whatsapp conversations. He deals mostly in monosyllables. A complete sentence is a rarity. He can be a journalist’s nightmare. And is increasingly becoming one for opponents across court.
The 22-year old is headed back home after clinching his fifth title at the Swiss Open on Sunday. He is already ranked fourth, no Indian has been as high in a decade and a half. In the final against Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen, he was pushed to three games but came up trumps.
“I was trailing 6-9 in the third game and made it 10-9,” he remembers. “That changed the match I feel.”
Srikanth arrived in Basel after a disappointing first round exit at the All-England championships. Though his opponent, Japan’s Kento Momota, was ranked outside the top-10, Srikanth says on the ferociously competitive international circuit “any player can surprise anyone” now. The focus for him and coach Gopichand, he says, is to “perform consistently” and “win more tournaments.”
Srikanth went from virtual obscurity to front-page news last November when he stunned five-time World and twice Olympic champion Lin Dan in the final of the China Open. He became the first Indian man to win Super Series Premier title. Life changed.
“There is a change in the way I prepare for tournaments now,” he admits. “I used to be a completely aggressive player earlier. Now, I have changed my approach to getting into a rally before going for the attack.”
Indian badminton has never been stronger. On the women’s circuit, Saina Nehwal and P V Sindhu are leading the way. Among the men, Srikanth leads a batch of impressive young players that includes Commonwealth games gold medalist Parupalli Kashyap, Ajay Jayaram, H S Prannoy and Guru Sai Dutt.
“We are friends and that doesn’t change,” says Srikanth when asked if competing against each other takes a toll on their personal equation. “When we are playing against each other we play seriously and as sportspersons we only want to win. But this doesn’t affect our friendship.”
Srikanth will next be seen at the Indian Open in New Delhi from March 24 and is embracing the pressure of playing in front of home crowds. “I want to make it big,” he says with quiet determination. Clearly, he is coming to grips with being an elite sportsman. On the horizon is the holy grail - the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro next year.
“An Olympic medal was the goal when I started,” he says. “Now that I have a chance, I will definitely go for it.”
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)