Saina Nehwal and K. Srikanth will spearhead the host in the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup world team badminton championships beginning at the Siri Fort Complex here from May 18.
As per the list of team members released on Wednesday, world No. 1 Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei and world and Olympic champion China’s Lin Dan will be part of the field for the first time since last year’s world championship.
In the Uber Cup, favourite China has chosen to field the world’s top three players — Li Xuerui, Wang Shixian and Wang Yihan.
In the Uber Cup, where India’s prospects of reaching the knock-out stage looks better, much depends on the form and fitness of Saina, P.V. Sindhu and the doubles combination of G. Jwala and Ashwini Ponnappa.
India will face Thailand, Canada and Hong Kong in the league phase.
Gopi Academy trainees India’s Thomas Cup squad is made up of mainly the trainees from Gopi Chand Academy after the country’s No. 4 Ajay Jayaram failed to make it.
In the preliminary league, India is clubbed with Malaysia, Korea and Germany.
The teams:
Men: K. Srikanth, P. Kashyap, R.M.V. Gurusaidutt, Sourabh Varma, B. Sai Praneeth, Pranaav Chopra, Manu Attri, Arun Vishnu, Sumeeth Reddy and Akshay Dewalkar.
Women: Saina Nehwal, P.V. Sindhu, Arundhati Pantawane, Tanvi Lad, P.C. Thulasi, G. Jwala, Ashwini Ponnappa, N. Sikki Reddy and Pradnya Gadre.
