PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen headline India's medal hopes (Images: Agencies)NEW DELHI: The return of the BWF World Championships to India after 17 years will see an international field ready to test singles stars Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu. The event, scheduled from Aug 17-23 at the Indira Gandhi indoor stadium, will bring together the sport’s biggest names, with reigning world champions, Olympic gold medallists and former world No. 1s lining up for a battle.In men’s singles, China’s world No. 1 and reigning world champion Shi Yu Qi will start among the favourites, meeting India’s Ayush Shetty in the opener. The 30-year-old, who claimed his maiden world title in 2025 after finishing runner-up in 2018, combines deceptive strokeplay with tactical nous and an ability to control rallies.Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn, the 2023 world champion and Paris Olympics silver medallist, adds a threat. A three-time world junior champion, Kunlavut has established himself as one of the toughest players on the circuit with his movement, patience and composure under pressure.For India, much will rest on Sen. The 2021 world bronze medallist made history by becoming the first Indian man to reach an Olympic singles semifinal in Paris, finishing fourth. With home support behind him, the 24-year-old will look to turn a major occasion into a medal-winning run.The women’s field is equally imposing. Sindhu, India’s first world champion and a five-time World Championships medallist, enters her home campaign on the back of a historic 2026 Japan Open triumph. The two-time Olympic medallist remains one of India’s biggest medal hopes.Standing in her way is South Korea’s An Se Young, the reigning Olympic and 2023 world champion, who completed a career Grand Slam by winning the Badminton Asia Championships this year.Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, a three-time world champion, is a contender while China’s Wang Zhi Yi, the 2026 All England champion and former world No. 1, arrives in form. Olympic champion Chen Yufei, runner-up at last year’s Worlds, will also chase the individual title missing from her collection.