Srikanth Kidambi shoots to top of prize money list after Superseries glory

What’s the story?

Srikanth Kidambi’s stupendous success not only hauled him back inside the top 10 of the world rankings, but also sent his bank balance through the roof. With a staggering US $147,847.50, the World No. 8 currently sits atop the list of 2017 prize money leaders, calculated at the end of the Chinese Taipei Grand Prix held from June 27-July 2.

The whopping amount that he earned also enabled him to surpass the in-form women’s singles World No. 1 Tai Tzu Ying, who has lost only two matches this year. The Chinese Taipei ace, who has won five consecutive Superseries titles, has only US $133,125.00 which is nearly US $15,000 less than the Indian’s earnings.

In case you didn’t know

Srikanth, who had to sit out for three months in 2016 due to a stress fracture, came back with a bang in 2017. In April, he reached the final of the Singapore Open Superseries, squandering a one-game lead to lose to his compatriot B Sai Praneeth.

Since then, the Guntur-born shuttler has been unstoppable and registered back-to-back Superseries title wins in Indonesia and Australia that has so far been unprecedented for an Indian male player.

It has also sent him to the pinnacle of the Dubai Destination World Superseries Final rankings, which determines which eight players get to compete for the year-end championships.

The heart of the matter

The best indicator of how far Srikanth has come since his twin success is the startling difference in his earnings before and after April. Before mid-April’s Singapore Open, the Pullela Gopichand protégé had only a modest US$16,597.50 to show for, the highlight of which was a semi-final appearance at the Syed Modi International in January.

His prize money for the 2017 season swelled by US$131, 250.00 thanks to the Superseries triumphs.

And with that, Srikanth is ahead of the two legends - Lee Chong Wei, who is at the second position with US$71, 300.00 and Lin Dan, who comes in third with US$69, 795.00.

Oh my God! @srikidambi becomes the top of the overall prize money standings this year, surpassing Tai Tzu Ying. @BAI_Media pic.twitter.com/yP7aG6Zpjr

— Indonesia Badminton (@INA_Bminton) July 20, 2017

What’s next?

Srikanth will next be seen in action at the prestigious World Championships to be held in Glasgow from August 21-27.

Author’s take

The burgeoning prize money is only a reward for Srikanth’s perseverance, determination and self-belief which he displayed in ample amounts during his glorious Superseries run.