Kidambi Srikanth produced one of the biggest wins of his season on Thursday, stunning world No. 8 Kodai Naraoka 21-15, 11-21, 21-18 to reach the quarter-finals of the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2026.

The former world No. 1 beat the fifth seed and defending champion in a one-hour battle in Kumamoto, recording his first victory over Naraoka in five meetings on the tour. It was also Srikanth's first win against the Japanese star in more than two years, and it keeps the Indian challenge alive at the Super 500 event.

How Srikanth sealed the upset

Srikanth started strongly, taking the opening game 21-15, before Naraoka hit back to win the second 21-11 and force a decider. The Indian held his nerve in the third game, closing it out 21-18 to book his place in the last eight.

Naraoka, the 2026 World Championships silver medallist, had never lost to Srikanth before, and the win is only Srikanth's second quarter-final appearance this year at a tournament ranked Super 500 or above.

What comes next

Srikanth will face Japan's Koki Watanabe in the quarter-finals on Friday, holding a 2-0 lead in their head-to-head record. Lakshya Sen also reached the last eight, beating China's Dong Tian Yao 21-8, 21-14, and will meet Japan's Yushi Tanaka for a place in the semi-finals.

With two Indians in the men's singles quarter-finals, the Kumamoto Masters has become one of the strongest weeks of the season for Indian badminton. Read more at The Bridge and Revsportz.