Srikanth signals return to form with Malaysia runner-up finish

Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth reached his first BWF World Tour final in six years, finishing runner-up at the Malaysia Masters Super 500 on Sunday, a result that could mark a turning point in his career.

- Agencies

KUALA LUMPUR:

The 32-year-old Indian, who had slumped to 82 in world rankings earlier this month, following a long spell of injuries and inconsistent performances, produced a gritty run from the qualifiers to the final in Kuala Lumpur before going down to China's world No. 4 Li Shi Feng 11-21, 9-21.

Srikanth, who became the first Indian to win four Super series titles in a single year in 2017 and claimed a historic silver at the 2021 World Championships, had been out of the spotlight in recent seasons.

However, his return to form drew praise — even from the chair umpire.

"I know my chair umpire was also asking where have you been. I didn't know people really missed me. But yeah, very happy to be back again," the former Thomas Cup-winning captain said.