Age of PV Sindhu continues: After an injury layoff, the star Indian shuttler makes her return

This article originally appeared in The Field’s newsletter, Game Points, on February 14, 2024. Sign up here to get the newsletter directly delivered to your inbox every week.

“Avengers Assemble!”

It was a simple message to go with a straight-forward photograph that PV Sindhu uploaded on her social media accounts just a week ago. No wacky tricky photography. No action shot of her swinging the wand we call a badminton racquet.

Just five individuals – with Sindhu front and centre – all with huge smiles on their faces. A cheerful photograph, but a rallying cry. This was Sindhu with her newly assembled “support system”.

With that new team, after a three-and-a-half-month injury layoff, she was ready to make her return to top-flight badminton at the Asian Team Championships in Shah Alam, Malaysia on Wednesday.

The last time Sindhu was in action in a competitive match was back in October 2023 at the French Open Super 750. She was leading her round of 16 contest against Thailand’s Supanida Katethong 21-18, 1-1 when she pulled out mid-way after feeling pain in her left knee.

That was a rarity for Sindhu.

The double Olympic medallist is known to brave her way through the toughest of situations. She had won the 2022 Commonwealth Games women’s singles gold medal despite sustaining a stress fracture on her...

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