Kidambi Srikanth set to return to World No. 2 ranking, PV Sindhu to rise as well

With the points earned from last year’s All England Open set to drop in the upcoming world rankings to be released by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Thursday, March 15, there will be a few major changes. The India No. 1 men’s singles player, Kidambi Srikanth is all set to climb one rung higher to match his career-best ranking of No. 2. The top Indian women’s singles shuttler, PV Sindhu too will see her ranking moving up by one place to No. 3.

The world’s oldest badminton tournament was held in the week of March 6 last year, the very same week in which the German Open -- a BWF World Tour Super 300 event was held in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany this year. The points from the Birmingham event will thus be replaced by those accumulated from the German Open or the next best uncounted points.

This has triggered a fall of three spots for the Malaysian legend, Lee Chong Wei. Lee won the All England Open for the fourth time last year but did not participate at the German Open last week. With the former World No. 1 sliding to the fifth position, each of the players behind him will rise.

Thus Kidambi Srikanth, who crashed out in the first round of the All England Open last year, will get back to the World No. 2 ranking. The Pullela Gopichand protégé had first been ranked No. 2 in November last year when he won back-to-back Superseries titles at the Denmark Open and the French Open.

Sai Praneeth too will soar a couple of spots to 12th while HS Prannoy will nosedive four places to 16th.

In women’s singles, PV Sindhu will exchange places with the former world champion Ratchanok Intanon. Sindhu, who has self-admittedly set sights on becoming the World No. 1, will be just one spot shy of her career-high ranking of No. 2.

The former All England Open runner-up Saina Nehwal, will, however, be pushed down to 12th due to Nitchaon Jindapol reaching the semi-finals of the German Open.