The first thing you’ll probably notice about Kidambi Srikanth is that he’s quiet.
Not just of the quiet and shy variety, but quiet, contemplating his next big win.
Captain of the Bengaluru Top Guns this season, the 22-year-old fleet-footed, poster boy of badminton kick started the year with some new found vigour – defeating the former world number one, Lee Chong Wei at the Premiere Badminton League and he shows no signs of backing down.
“It was a perfect start to a brand new year. It was one of my most cherished victories,” he smiles, reminiscing his sweet win against Lee in Mumbai recently.
But the aggressive, hungry-to-win athlete regrets not having been able to take the Bengaluru Top Guns to where they belong – to the top. “We had some world-class players and played with a lion’s heart. Unfortunately, we could not make it big this season although we tried. While we did disappoint fans this time, we promise that next time is going to be so much better,” he says, happy that other sports aside of cricket are gaining the prominence they deserve. “The key is to keep the faith and let your performance be your voice,” he says.
Giving the sport his all, badminton has always been something that he gave his all to. “I was determined to make it my career, and to make it big. I never distracted myself with any other options,” confesses the world number five, who is one of the reigning stars of Gopichand Badminton Academy. “Gopi (Pullela Gopichand) sir saw talent in me and I will always owe that to him. He has shown me how a combination of skill, intelligence and hard work will never fail me,” he says, rigorously training three times a day for six-seven hours, on and off the court. Since his 2011 win at the Commonwealth Youth Games, Srikanth has come a long way and his Arjuna Award comes only second to what he considers his proudest achievement, “When I won my first Super Series title by beating Lin Dan in China at the China Open. I had grown up idolising Lin Dan and winning against him was the best feeling.”
Even as he looks forward to touring and ‘smashing’ hits at the Malaysian GP, Syed Modi GP in Lucknow and grabbing the coveted Olympic medal at Rio, Srikanth confesses that he is a homebody. “I do head out to catch up with my friends and watch movies – it’s a lot of fun. But I like being at home more,” says the Guntur-born athlete whose driving force and inspiration is his family – his father, mother and his brother who is also a badminton player. Otherwise, when he’s not watching a lot of tennis with his eyes glued on Roger Federer, telling people why they should take a trip to his “beautiful” hometown Guntur, he’s probably the one going for the kill on court.
