Ayush Shetty’s viral smash block and historic Asia Championships silver signal India’s new badminton star

India has found a new badminton hero in Ayush Shetty after he created history at the recently concluded Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, by winning the silver medal. The 20-year-old had already etched an unforgettable run when he reached the summit clash to become the first Indian finalist in 61 years in the men's singles event.

However, the moment that captured the attention of the entire nation was not from the final, but a block Shetty performed against world No 7 Li Shi Feng in the Round of 32 game. It has since gone viral on all social media platforms, making the youngster a household name overnight.

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The block looked almost unbelievable. As Li Shi Feng jumped high to deliver a hard smash, Shetty perfectly read the trajectory of the shot and simply held his racquet in position, letting the shuttle touch and fall back in the opponent's area. The play left fans stunned and filled everyone's timeline within hours of going viral.

Ayush Shetty talks about his viral net block moment

Responding to Firstpost during a media interaction organised by the Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Monday, Ayush Shetty explained the moment and what went through his mind in that split second as he blocked the smash.

"I think it was just instinct. I knew I couldn’t take it from behind. So, I just tried my luck and placed my racket. Yeah, it was a special one," he said.

Shetty’s journey over the past year has been impressive. He won his first BWF World Tour title at the US Open in 2025 and followed it up with a breakthrough run in the Badminton Asian Championships 2026. On his way to the final, he defeated top players like Jonatan Christie and even stunned world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the semifinals with a brilliant comeback win.

In the final, Shetty faced China’s Shi Yu Qi, who proved too strong on the day and beat him easily in straight games. Despite the loss, Shetty’s run was historic as he did something no other Indian had achieved since Dinesh Khanna in 1965.

“I’m proud and happy of the way I played throughout the tournament,” Ayush said. “Obviously, it was a tough loss. I definitely wanted to end on a high note, wanted to win it. But again, I think it is a great learning for me.”

Shetty eyes World Championship and Asian Games

The youngster also made sure to credit his family for his success. "I thank my family for the support, I can’t put it into words. The sacrifices they made… I think this is all because of them," he told Firstpost when asked about the contributions of his family and federation.

The 6'5" tall Ayush Shetty hails from Karkala, Karnataka and started playing Badminton at the age of eight. He was introduced to the sport by his father, who began coaching him in his backyard. However, as Ayush quickly progressed in skills, the family moved to Bengaluru to have him train at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (Now called Centre for Badminton Excellence).

Ayush continues to train at the Centre for Badminton Excellence with PV Sindhu under Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama.

Shetty also spoke about his future goals and what tournaments he will be targetting next. "Yeah, we are targeting the World Championships. That is the primary focus. Yes. Also, definitely the Asian Games," he told a reporter.

The 2026 edition of the Badminton World Championships is scheduled to be held in New Delhi in August, which will be a big stage for Shetty to showcase his skills in front of home fans. The Asian Games 2026 will take place in September in Japan.