Bangkok : A determined Indian men’s team etched its name in the history books by lifting the Thomas Cup title for the first time with a dominant 3-0 win over 14-time champions Indonesia in the final here on Sunday.
India dished out a performance for the ages with World Championships medallist Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth and world number 8 doubles duo of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy producing memorable performances.
After being offcolour in the knockout stages, Sen delivered when it mattered the most as he gave India a 1-0 lead with a come-from-behind 8-21 21-17 21-16 win over world number five Anthony Sinisuka Ginting in a superb show of temperament and skill.
The country’s best doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty then showed nerves of steel as it saved four match points in the second game to eventually outwit Mohammad Ahsan and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo 18-21 23-21 21-19.
In the second singles, Srikanth then produced a fine performance to outclass Asian games gold medallist Jonatan Christie 21-15 23-21 in 48 minutes to seal the contest.
From Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi to Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, everyone wished the Indian team for their historic achievement.
Anurag Thakur, the Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports hailed the side for a remarkable win and announced a Rs 1 crore cash prize for the men’s badminton team.
As #TeamIndia defeats 14-time #ThomasCup Champions Indonesia to win its 1️st ever #ThomasCup2022, @IndiaSports is proud to announce a cash award of ₹ 1 crore for the team in relaxation of rules to acknowledge this unparalleled feat! Congratulations Team India, tweeted Thakur.