With Shi Yuqi not having recovered from his acute gastroenteritis, Lakshya Sen will instead face Li Shifeng when India take on China in the Thomas Cup. (BWF/Badminton Photo)With Shi Yuqi not having recovered from his acute gastroenteritis, Li Shifeng steps in his place as first singles against Lakshya Sen for the key Thomas Cup group tie to decide who finishes first or second. The tie starts 1.30 pm IST.It’s an interesting point in time for Li Shifeng. Not in the best of forms, he does have scores to settle against Sen, leading 8-7 in head to head overall, but having lost to the Indian at All England in 2026. Shifeng won all their faceoffs in 2025, but hasn’t been in best form this season.Stepping up to MS1 first singles, is a challenge, but Shifeng has always been a big occasion player. Sen lost to Victor Lai, but he is known to reserve his best for the big matches too. In 2023, he defeated Shi Yuqi in Asian Games Teams.It puts Ayush Shetty in unchartered territory, against China’s foxiest Weng Hong Yang, always a tricky customer in second singles. Their rankings are 3 ranks apart – Weng, 15, and Ayush, 18.Satwik-Chirag will once again need to tackle Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang and their spinny serves and fast smashes from Liang. Indians defeated the Chinese at World Championships, but had lost at the World Tour Finals. Expect three sets, though Chinese social media has speculated over Wang’s iffy back. The Chinese, based on their serve and return, lead the H2H 8-4.India’s second doubles, MR Arjun-Hariharan Amsakarunan will face the biggest test against He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu, perhaps India’s toughest matchup in the tie. The reuniting Chinese, an ostensible “scratch pairs” are ranked No 99, but have played 105 matches as against 37 by Indians.If it comes down to 2-2 in the tie, India have placed their faith in HS Prannoy for the fifth rubber and third singles. He trails the fastish mover Lu Guang Zu 2-4, but has experience in handling the decisive match situations. Lu is ranked No 23 while Prannoy is 35. The Indian did defeat him in their latest match in 2025 autumn at Hong Kong Open in straight sets and they are 2-2 since 2024.Story continues below this adIndia has never beaten China at Thomas Cup, which is not so much a mystery given the rankings, as a missing link of Indian badminton. Jog through the last 20 years, and while India’s top names in singles, doubles, have routinely beaten their Chinese opponents for individual Tour titles, or World Championship medals, and even in Round 1 exits, the team events have seen India come undone.The result will decide who tops Group A, and gets a relatively easier / second placed opponent in the Quarterfinals. India are champions from 2022, while China has won the title 11 times.Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More © The Indian Express Pvt Ltd