Commonwealth Games badminton: India vs Pakistan on the cards in mixed team event
India are the defending champions in the mixed team event. They beat Malaysia in the final of Gold Coast 2018.
The Indian badminton team will face Pakistan in the group stage of the mixed team event at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham this July-August.
India and Pakistan have been drawn in Group 1, alongside Australia and Sri Lanka. There are a total of 16 teams at Birmingham 2022 divided into four groups.
The India vs Pakistan fixture will be a rematch from Gold Coast 2018, when India blanked Pakistan 5-0 in the group stage. India went on to win the gold medal after beating Malaysia in the final.
India won six medals - two gold, three silver and a bronze - in badminton at Commonwealth Games 2018.
However, only four members – Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Kidambi Srikanth, Chirag Shetty, Ashwini Ponappa – from the previous edition will compete in Birmingham.
The men’s team for this year’s quadrennial showpiece features world championship silver winner Kidambi Srikanth, world bronze medallist Lakshya Sen, and Tokyo Olympians Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty and B Sumeeth Reddy.
Meanwhile, double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, Aakarshi Kashyap, Treesa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand, Ashwini Ponappa make the women’s team.
At CWG 2022, each badminton tie in the mixed team event will consist of five matches – men's and women's singles and men's, women's and mixed doubles.
Each nation will face the other three teams in their group once. The top two from each group will then progress to the knockout round.
Hosts England, placed in Group 2, are the most successful country in the mixed team event, with eight gold medals.