'Really big moment’: Srikanth, other players on India’s Thomas Cup 2022 win 

India’s win at the Thomas Cup 2022 against the 14-time winner and 2021 champion Indonesia was an extraordinary feat celebrated with great vigour and enthusiasm. Indian men’s team defeated Indonesia with a 3-0 win in the final. This was the first time that the Indian men’s badminton team reached the finals of the Thomas Cup tournament. Indian men’s team had reached the Thomas Cup semi-finals in 1952, 1955 and 1979.  

The Indian men’s contingent at the Thomas Cup comprised of Kidambi Srikanth, Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy and doubles players Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy. They were coached by the legendary badminton coach Pullela Gopichand. Kidambi Srikanth stunned Jonathan Christie in the second singles as India became the sixth nation to win the tournament.  

Lakshya Sen, on the other hand, tamed Olympic bronze medallist Anthony Sinisuka Gintingin in the first singles at the Impact Arena. Doubles players Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty snatched victory from the claws of Mohammad Ahsan and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamujlo in the first doubles.  

Prannoy was the difference-maker in the quarterfinals and semi-finals. He defeated Malaysia’s Leong Jun Hao in the quarterfinal and went onto tame Denmark’s Rasmus gemke in the semis.  

After having clinched victory in the coveted Thomas Cup 2022 tournament, Srikanth told India Today, “Individual events are always different to team events and we hardly get to play team events and Thomas Cup finals are the biggest team events. So, to win such a big event is a really big moment. It will actually take a while before you know what has actually happened.” 

HS Prannoy also shared his selfie with the gold medal and wrote, “I want to sleep but I am not able to becauseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee we are Worldddddddddd Championssssssssssss. (sic)” 

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy shared the glimpses from the tournament and wrote, “Yeh Dil maange more. We came we played and conquered. We are Thomas Cup champions. India this [is] for you. Jai Hind.” 

Chirag Shetty wrote, “This is what dreams are made of. World Champions! For the 1.3 billion od us back home this is for each one of you. Never stop dreaming!” 

Lakshya Sen also shared glimpses from the tournament and wrote, “WE DID IT. We are INDIA.” 

Gopichand called this victory bigger than the Indian cricket team’s win in the 1983 World Cup. He said, “I would say that in badminton teams this is even bigger (than the 1983 World Cup win). I think nobody would have imagined that we would win something as big as this. Especially if you would have gone to a badminton playing nation like China and Malaysia and say that India were going to win the Thomas Cup someday, they would have laughed at you a few years ago. But I think that the quality of singles and the doubles also have ensured that we have been able to do this.” 

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