It started out rough but we’re like brothers now: Sat-Chi on doubles partnership

“Doubles is like a marriage. Both have to fix it,” Rankireddy says, laughing. It’s not just fixed; they’ve flown with it. Rankireddy, 22, and Shetty, 25, are the country’s most accomplished men’s doubles shuttlers ever. Ranked eighth in the world after a steady rise over the last few years, they broke new ground this season.

The combo was at the heart of the Indian team’s historic Thomas Cup triumph, stunning 14-time champions Indonesia in the final. They then became the first Indian men’s pair to win gold at the Commonwealth Games (CWG), in Birmingham, followed by bronze at the Tokyo World Championships, also a first by an Indian men’s doubles pair.

The story of Sat-Chi, as they’re called, is as much about enhancing on-court compatibility — complementing each other’s style of play, understanding each other’s strengths, weaknesses and tactical nuances — as it is about developing off-court camaraderie. In doubles, the latter can often be a challenge; look no further than other partnerships in the country for layers of tension and controversy (Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, for instance).

“It took me a lot of time. I am not a fan of hanging out with Hindi (-speaking) guys,” Rankireddy says, laughing. “I was with Telugu guys throughout, watching Telugu movies. Initially, language was a problem. Plus, Chirag was a rival. We used to have good fights on court.”

“We stuck at it, and things moved in the right direction,” Shetty adds. They both admit it wasn’t easy.

Tan and chief national coach Pullela Gopichand suggested a hack for bonding better: share rooms during tournaments, and eat at least one meal a day together. “That really helped us. Automatically our understanding of how to prepare for a match together got better,” Rankireddy says. “We worked a lot on communication. I took a lot of time to communicate with Chirag. I used to think, ‘If I tell him to do this, will he listen? What will happen? What will he think?’ Those things used to go on in my mind. But our coach said there is no senior or junior on the court. After that, we talked.”

It would take four tournaments before the pair finally had their first big win, but the Mauritius International title in June 2016 was a turning point. It boosted their confidence in themselves as a duo, and validated their efforts to understand and accommodate each other.

“After that win, we began spending more time together off the court,” Shetty says. “Our coach told us, ‘Treat your partner as your life partner. Try and spend most of your day with each other’. It might sound funny to people, but that is what helped us.”

After Mauritius, the duo won three other tournaments back-to-back. “That is when we thought, okay, this could work,” says Shetty. “It helps to be friends when discussing the game, tactics, strategies. Sometimes a partner can take these discussions in a very negative way. If your partner understands that there’s no malicious intent and that both of us want the best for each other, that really helps.”

Rankireddy and Shetty now bond over food, films, sightseeing. Though their approaches in these areas too are different, they use the differences to their advantage.

“Initially it was very tough because Chirag rarely eats Indian food and I ate only Indian food, that too limited items,” says Rankireddy, laughing. “He always wanted to try something new, go out and see new places. I just wanted to stay in the room and relax. But we adjusted and understood. Now we discuss and decide where to eat. I am trying new cuisines, seeing new places. And when we are out (of the country), we always plan something.”

It helps that the parents have bonded too. “We come from different cultures but the mindset is the same. Both sets of parents love us both. Both sets of parents are passionate about badminton. Chirag’s mother cheers for me just the same way my mother does,” Rankireddy says.

That kind of thing off the court helps a lot on the court. “You share moments, you talk with your partner… it’s like a best friend kind of a thing.”

Communicating better means playing better. “Chirag is very understanding. He always encourages me, saying things like ‘Take more time if you need to’ or ‘We’re going to win this’. I always know he’s right there behind me. In doubles, you have a person supporting you all the time,” Rankireddy says. “Your partner is your partner for the journey. For me, Chirag is the most important person right now.”

“Our relationship has evolved a lot,” Shetty adds. “We care for each other, are there for each other. We are like brothers now.”