Shocks, Dominance & Rising Stars Light Up Manoj Ramchandra Memorial 2026 Pacharne & Tulsani Spring Surprises Sankalp Cruises, Shivani Shines in Mumbai Explosive Day at NIA Courts: Upsets and Authority on Display

 

Shocks, Dominance & Rising Stars Light Up Manoj Ramchandra Memorial 2026

Pacharne & Tulsani Spring Surprises

Sankalp Cruises, Shivani Shines in Mumbai

Explosive Day at NIA Courts: Upsets and Authority on Display

Mumbai : The Yonex Sunrise Manoj Ramchandra Memorial State Open Badminton Tournament 2026 delivered a perfect mix of dominance and drama on Thursday at the North Indian Association (NIA) courts in Mumbai. While top seed Sankalp Chandragurala stamped his authority with ease, it was Indira Pacharne and Vanshika Tulsani who stole the spotlight with stunning upset victories, setting the tone for a thrilling tournament supported by SVC Co-Operative Bank and Saraswat Co-Operative Bank.

 

Men’s Singles Round of 64: Sankalp in Command, Harshit Impresses

Top seed Sankalp Chandragurala proved his class as he comfortably outplayed Amol Hindlekar 15-9, 15-10, advancing with confidence. Local favourite Harshit Mahimkar thrilled the home crowd with a dominant 15-6, 15-6 win over Aman Anand.
Other notable winners included Ojas Gedam, Tanay Mehendale, Sujal Lakhari, and Sairaj Samant, all registering convincing straight-game victories to move ahead in the competition.

 

Women’s Singles Round of 32: Pacharne Stuns 8th Seed

In one of the biggest upsets of the day, Indira Pacharne displayed tremendous grit to shock 8th seed Pranjal Andhare in a thrilling three-game battle. After losing the first game, Pacharne fought back brilliantly to win 14-16, 15-8, 15-8, marking a statement victory in the tournament.

 

Tulsani’s Gritty Comeback Seals Another Upset

Another surprise came from Vanshika Tulsani, who showcased strong determination to overcome Spruha Joshi in a hard-fought contest. After dropping the opening game, Tulsani rallied back to clinch the match 15-17, 15-9, 15-11, underlining her fighting spirit and match temperament.

 

Shivani Herlekar Shines Bright

Delivering a composed and confident performance, Shivani Herlekar brushed aside Vishruti Namana with a solid 15-13, 15-8 win, progressing smoothly into the next round and emerging as a strong contender in the women’s draw.

 

Other Key Results: Women’s Singles Round of 32

Several top players advanced with dominant performances. Gargee Degvekar defeated Siddhi Gawande 15-9, 15-4, while 4th seed Shreya Shelar crushed Rishika Pal 15-4, 15-4.
5th seed Nishika Gokhe overcame Gargi Joshi 15-5, 15-7, and 6th seed Anushka Epte defeated Gayatri Sawant 15-4, 15-6.
Mausam Manepatil, Ketaki Thite, and Chitwan Khatri also registered comfortable wins. Meanwhile, 3rd seed Shreya Bhosale dominated Ruchi Rane 15-5, 15-1 in a one-sided encounter.

 

Men’s Singles Round of 64: Other Results

Apart from Sankalp Chandragurala and Harshit Mahimkar, impressive wins were recorded by Ojas Gedam (bt Yash Dhembare 15-4, 15-5), Tanay Mehendale (bt Vihaan Rathi 15-5, 15-8), Sujal Lakhari (bt Yash Vichare 15-6, 15-5) and Sairaj Samant (bt Yash Kamat 15-4, 15-11), highlighting the depth of talent in the men’s field.

 

Tournament Heats Up with High-Intensity Battles Ahead

With early upsets already shaking the draw and top seeds asserting their dominance, the tournament is heading towards an exciting phase. Players like Sankalp Chandragurala, Shivani Herlekar, Indira Pacharne, and Vanshika Tulsani have set the courts buzzing, promising many more thrilling encounters in the days to come.