Top 5 wins of Parupalli Kashyap's career

Parupalli Kashyap after winning the gold medal at CWG 2014Parupalli Kashyap, an Arjuna awardee in 2012, has learned his trade under the watchful eye of national coach, Pullela Gopichand. Kashyap has made the nation proud with his numerous achievements throughout his badminton career.Here are Kashyap’s top 5 wins.

#5 French Open Super Series 2014

Parupalli Kashyap serves on his way to beating Kenichi Tago of Japan

The first round of the French Open Super Series, 2014, pitted Parupalli Kashyap against world number 4, Kenichi Tago. Kashyap was on top form from the beginning as he took a quick lead 5-1. Kashyap relied on his powerful cross-court smashes to increase further pressure on Tago to take points regularly. Then it was an easy game for Kashyap as the Japanese failed to get his rhythm back. Tago lost by a huge margin 11-21. Continuing the momentum, Kashyap led 5-1 in the second game as well lead before Tago struck back to tie the game 7-7 and led at the break. However, Kashyap surged ahead to equal the score at 18-all before taking three consecutive points to win the game 21-18 and enter the second round.

#4 2014 CWG, Glasgow

Parupalli Kashyap poses with his gold medal and a beaming smile

Seeded second at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, there were a lot of expectations on Kashyap and he rightly lived up to them by winning the prized gold medal. Parupalli Kashyap and Rajiv Ouseph battled in an epic semifinal that saw the match swing like a pendulum. With intense rallies and power-packed shots, each tried to outplay the other in this dramatic match. In a nail-biting encounter that demanded tremendous energy from the players, Kashyap held his nerve over the Englishman, winning 18-21, 21-17, 21-18 to reach the final of the men’s badminton at the XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014. In the 2014 Commonwealth Games finals, Parupalli Kashyap, the only Indian left in the badminton singles group, clinched the gold medal by defeating Singapore's Derek Wong.

#3 India Open Super Series 2013

Parupalli Kashyap of India returns a shot to Taufiq Hidayat of Indonesia

In 2013, Parupalli Kashyap on Thursday moved up a place to his career-best sixth in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings.

One day after losing his first round match at the India Open Super Series 2013 to former world number one, Taufiq Hidayat of Indonesia, Kashyap reached his career highest ranking of 6.

#2 London Olympics 2012

Parupalli Kashyap in action at the Olympics in London

In 2012, Parupalli Kashyap created history as he became the first Indian male badminton player to enter the quarter-finals at the London Olympics 2012 after he won against the SriLankan Niluka Karunaratne 21-14, 15-21, 21-9.

It was a tightly fought game and Kashyap was on top of his performance with his blinding smashes in the 3rd match, one of which was the decider. He ranking improved to 19th in the world after this win.

#1 National Games 2007

Parupalli Kashyap in action against Chetan Anand

In 2007, Parupalli Kashyap won against the National champion Chetan Anand in the men's badminton final at the 33rd National Games. Even at a tender age of 20, the boy from Andhra Pradesh kept his nerve, survived a match point and defeated the top-seed in a dramatic game which finished 21-19, 10-21, 25-23.

This was his first major comeback after he was diagnosed with asthma in 2004. During 2006-2007, his world ranking improved to 64.