For Kidambi Srikanth, it is more about looking ahead

Defeating Lin Dan has been one of Srikanth’s best moments.

On the sidelines of a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday, Kidambi Srikanth was asked to describe his past year. ‘Up and down,’ mused the 22-year-old shuttler. The description implies a degree of inconsistency, that isn’t quite true for India’s highest ranked male badminton player. All his ups seem to have come as a bunch, the downs following in similar grouping soon after.

Srikanth’s ‘ups’ came around this time last year. Back in November 2014, Srikanth was simply one of a pack of upcoming male Indian shuttlers, jostling for position on the international rankings. He had had a few noticeable performances — quarterfinals at the Malaysia Open, the Denmark Open and at the Commonwealth Games singles event — but nothing spectacular as a ranking of 23rd in October would suggest.

All that changed at the China Open, in November last year when he upset Lin Dan to claim his — and India’s — maiden men’s Super Series singles title. “I had grown up thinking of Lin Dan as my idol,” Srikanth recalls. “So to win my first Super Series title by beating him in China was great feeling. I don’t think I will ever have a victory like the one at the China Open,” he said. There were several moments that came close however.

This was a period where it seemed he had figured out the code at the highest level. Over the next six tournaments Srikanth had a Super Series (SS) win, a SS semifinal place, a World Super Series Final semifinal, a GP Gold win and a GP Gold final. His exploits even overshadowed those of Saina Nehwal, the torchbearer for the sport thus far. By April this year, he was the 4th best player in the world, and clearly the best men’s player in India.

But Srikanth spoke of ‘downs’ as well. They have steadily showed up in the last few months. In the 12 tournaments he has played since winning the India Open Super Series, Srikanth has won consecutive games only once — at the World Championships. He has had six second round exits and two first round ones — including his last appearance — at the French Open.
Srikanth’s ranking hasn’t suffered much. He is currently 5th in world rankings but his hold on it is tenuous. In a few days, Srikanth will head to Fouzhou, to defend his title followed by a visit to the Hong Kong Open and then if he has enough points in his bag, the Dubai Super Series Final. At these three tournaments, he will be defending a total of  25120 points — a significant chunk of his current total of 91323.71. Indeed the recent form seems to show in the rankings for the Rio Games. Srikanth is still the best ranked Indian shuttler but is only ranked 13th in the world owing to his best performances coming before the cuttoff date.

If he is nervous, Srikanth doesn’t show it. Perhaps it’s due to an increased maturity. “I guess I am a lot more mature now than in the past. I try to stay calm regardless of the result. When I win, I don’t get elated and when I lose I don’t get depressed,” he says.

He rationalises his recent results. “It’s obviously disappointing to lose, but this is an experience you have to go through. I want to win because I haven’t won for a long time. But I feel no pressure. I am fine with the way that I have played and I have confidence in my game,” he says.

Srikanth says even where he loses he doesn’t see it as a net negative. “Each tournament is a learning experience. You learn from your defeats perhaps more from your wins,” he says. That constant learning makes Srikanth believe he is improving. “I think I am probably a better player now than I would have been at the China Open. It’s just that I’m not winning crucial points when I have to. But I have won these very same points before as well. Everything I do is enough, I just need to be mentally strong ahead of these crucial moments. At these points your shot selection is critical and right now I have learned a lot of aspects of my shot selection which do not work,” he says.

It’s an attitude that coach Pullela Gopichand agrees with. “From my perspective, I’m not worried about it (his recent run of losses) at all. At this stage he could lose for a year and it doesn’t matter. He could win for the same period and it wouldn’t mean anything either,” he says. “I’ve always believed that Srikanth is a huge talent for at least the next ten years. He’ll be in this position many times in the future,” says Gopichand.

Gopichand also believes it’s only a matter of time before Srikanth starts closing out games again but adds that there is little he can do to speed that process along. “I’ve always told Srikanth that he already has what it takes to figure out where he is faltering in the crucial points. These problems can’t be solved by me away from the court. It can only be solved by a fresh mind and that is his own,” he says.