Priyanshu Rajawat’s triumph against Lakshya Sen at India Open 2024 could mark the dawn of a new era in his career
Indian badminton is currently witnessing its golden generation with several stars making the nation proud across disciplines. But it is unlikely that even the most ardent of badminton fans in this country might have heard the name of Priyanshu Rajawat, until now.
Rajawat’s biggest claim to fame until Tuesday was that he was a part of the Indian badminton contingent that created history by winning the Thomas Cup in 2022. But all that changed on Tuesday as Rajawat defeated his compatriot and good friend, Lakshya Sen in the Round of 32 of the India Open in New Delhi.
The result could prove to be a landmark moment in the youngster’s career as it showcased his physical and mental prowess on the court. The 21-year-old staged an epic comeback from a game down to beat Sen 16-21, 21-16 21-13 in a match that lasted one hour and 15 minutes.
An elite mindset
While this result qualifies as an upset on paper, it is interesting to note that the youngster from Madhya Pradesh does not see it that way. Reflecting on the result, Rajawat said, “It was important for me to win this match. Lakshya is like my brother, [but] I played against him in Japan [Japan Open Super 750 in July] and lost a very close third game 24-22 so I really wanted to win this one,” he said at the post-match press conference. “I was very sad the last time I lost… After losing the first game, I told myself that I can’t lose the next two.”
Rajawat’s words are a reflection of his elite mindset which is certain to hold him in good stead going forward. What’s even more impressive is that Rajawat beat Sen without having a coach in his corner, as is the mandate for all-Indian encounters. Speaking of Rajwat’s qualities as a player, National Coach P. Gopichand remarked, “He has the speed, you might have seen him also have the quality of strokes which are impressive.”
The quest for consistency
Though Rajawat’s win over Sen is the biggest scalp of his career so far, consistency has eluded the youngster so far as is echoed by Gopichand, who added that is difficult for the youngster to be consistent, given his style of play. Therefore, the next big step for Rajawat will be being able to produce these kind of results consistently.
Consistency is also something that Rajawat will acquire with age and experience as was the case with HS Prannoy, who he faces in the next round of the India Open. The youngster considers Prannoy as an elder brother and has admitted that the senior pro gives him several tips during training.
Rajawat’s match against Prannoy is being billed as the clash of the generations since both represent different eras of Indian badminton. The clash will test Rajawat’s mettle as a player and his ability to produce big performances consistently. If the youngster can add an element of consistency to his game, this could be the start of his coming-of-age since at the highest level, consistency is what separates the great players from the ordinary.
