Indian men's shuttlers HS Prannoy and Satish Karunakaran produced stellar performances to enter the second round of the Malaysia Masters 2025, while double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu’s struggles continued as she suffered a first-round exit in the Super 500 event held in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

In a thrilling men’s singles encounter, Prannoy pulled off a comeback victory over fifth seed Kenta Nishimoto of Japan. After losing the first game 19-21, Prannoy bounced back with aggressive play to clinch the next two games 21-17 and 21-16. The intense match lasted 1 hour and 22 minutes and marks one of Prannoy’s most significant wins in recent months.

Adding to the list of upsets, 21-year-old Satish Karunakaran stunned third seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei with a dominant 21-13, 21-14 victory in just 39 minutes. Karunakaran, a rising star on the Indian badminton scene, showed composure and speed to outplay the seasoned campaigner. Young Indian talent Ayush Shetty also made it to the second round. After narrowly losing the first game 20-22 to Canada’s Brian Yang, Shetty bounced back strongly to win the next two games 21-10 and 21-8, showcasing his grit and determination.

In contrast to the men’s strong showing, PV Sindhu's disappointing run extended as she bowed out in the first round. Facing Vietnam’s Nguyen Thuy Linh, Sindhu showed flashes of her former brilliance but failed to maintain consistency, ultimately losing 11-21, 21-14, 15-21. The early exit is yet another blow for Sindhu, who has struggled to find form in recent tournaments. Her inability to advance past the opening rounds continues to raise concerns ahead of key qualification events for the upcoming Olympic cycle.

The mixed outcomes underline a shifting phase for Indian badminton, with young male shuttlers rising rapidly and female stars looking to regain their top-tier consistency. The Malaysia Masters continues through the week, with fans eagerly watching to see if the Indian men can carry their momentum further into the tournament.