Big blow for India as Yuki Bhambri doubtful for Davis Cup tie against Korea

Yuki Bhambri is in doubt for India's Davis Cup tie in Seoul after suffering a right-leg strain. The injury has forced India to revisit its doubles plans against hosts Korea while hoping Bhambri is fit for the Asian Games.Bhambri may miss the Davis Cup tie against Korea (Reuters Photo)Yuki Bhambri’s availability for India’s upcoming Davis Cup clash against Korea in Seoul remains uncertain after the doubles specialist picked up a right-leg strain during practice before his US Open first-round match. Indian captain Rohit Rajpal described the timing of the injury as a major blow to the team’s preparations.Bhambri was not part of the first group of Indian players that travelled to Seoul on Thursday night, leaving his participation in the crucial tie in doubt. India will be looking to win the contest and book its place in the eight-team Davis Cup Finals.The 32-year-old has played down concerns surrounding the injury, describing it as a minor strain and insisting that it should not affect his plans for the Asian Games later this month. He is currently being assessed on a daily basis while working with members of the Indian team’s support staff, including Debashish Das and Yash Pandey."This (strain) happened before the main draw match during practice. This is a minor strain. There is no timeline set for my recovery but there is nothing major," Bhambri told PTI. "There is still pain. It's a day-by-day situation, we will see how it goes.""I am competing in the Asian Games one hundred per cent. We will see if we can recover for Davis Cup." Speaking to PTI from Seoul, Rajpal acknowledged that losing Bhambri at this stage has disrupted India’s preparations, although the team remains hopeful that the injury will not keep him out of the Asian Games."We working on it, hopefully he should recover. It certainly is a huge setback. His is a great combination with DK (Dhakshineswar). Yuki is by far our number one doubles player."His injury means we are starting afresh now. Combinations will depend on how quickly Yuki recovers and how the first day goes for us. The Koreans already have the advantage of playing at home," said Rajpal.Should Bhambri fail to recover in time, India may have to reshuffle its doubles combination. N Sriram Balaji, the country’s No. 2-ranked doubles player, could be considered alongside singles specialist Dhakshineswar, while reserve players Siddharth Rawat and Arnav Paparkar are also part of the squad but primarily feature in singles.AITA sources said left-hander Anirudh Chandrasekar, currently India’s No. 4 doubles player, has already been asked to join the team in Seoul at Rajpal’s request. Chandrasekar already holds a valid Korean visa.The national tennis body has also initiated the visa process for Niki Poonacha, India’s No. 3 doubles player, as a further contingency option.- EndsPublished On: Sep 11, 2026 19:24 IST