Srikanth runner-up at Malaysia Masters final

Kuala Lumpur

Kidambi Srikanth lost the final match of the Malaysia Masters 2025 to China’s Li Shi Feng on Sunday. Srikanth was defeated 11-21, 9-21 in just 36 minutes. This was Srikanth’s first BWF final in nearly six years since he last finished runner-up at the India Open in 2019.

Srikanth said, “It has been a pretty good week. I played well in the first two tournaments but could not win. I am happy to be back playing.” He added that although the final was not the way he wanted, Li Shi Feng played very well.

In the semi-final, Srikanth beat Japan’s Yushi Tanaka in straight games, 21-18, 24-22. Earlier, he qualified for the tournament by winning against Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen and France’s Toma Junior Popov in a close quarter-final match.

Srikanth made history in 2017 by becoming the first Indian to win four BWF titles in a year. He also played a key role in India’s gold medal win at the 2018 Commonwealth Games team event.

In recent years, Srikanth has faced many challenges. Injuries, including ankle problems, and the COVID-19 pandemic affected his performance. He missed the Tokyo Olympics and dropped to World No. 65 this month.

Despite these setbacks, Srikanth was part of India’s historic Thomas Cup win in 2022, helping the team win gold. His run to the Malaysia Masters final shows he is still a strong contender in men’s singles badminton.