Ayush Shetty has revived the buzz around Indian badminton with four upset wins, including three over Top 10s, at the Badminton Asia Championships (BAC). Heading to Ningbo, the 20-year-old, ranked No. 18, believed he could do well, but never expected to reach the final. He also chuckles about how a net block he played for the first time in his life went viral, and the messages of encouragement from film stars Anil Kapoor and Sunil Shetty that left him grinning. Q. You had a terrible start to the season. How did you deal with it? Ayush Shetty: Australia was my last tournament in 2025. But I got injured and played the Malaysia Super 1000 with barely a week of practice. Physically, I wasn’t at my best, and skill-wise also. I had a good match in Malaysia (against Shi Yuqi). But there were four Round 1 exits and one in the second round. I had gone to Europe feeling 100 percent and with lot of expectations but was not able to perform. Q. But you had …