KUALA LUMPUR: The Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration has become even more delightful for Haikal Nazri who was pleasantly surprised with his selection for the Thomas Cup Finals in Chengdu from April 28 to May 5.
Haikal, currently back in his home state of Kelantan, has received an extra dose of joy after being named as one of the five doubles players, alongside senior pairs Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani-Goh Sze Fei.
The call-up was well-deserved as Haikal has been making waves with his partner Choong Hon Jian, securing three World Tour titles in their first seven months of partnership, including the Orleans Masters Super 300 last month.
Unfortunately, with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) opting for a five-man line-up for the singles, there's only one remaining spot to be filled in the 10-man squad, with Haikal being the preferred choice over Hon Jian.
"I must say it was quite a pleasant surprise, but I have always been on standby for a possible inclusion from the start," said Haikal, who is set for his debut.
"It's every national shuttler's dream to play for Malaysia in the Thomas Cup, and I'm no exception.
"Now that I've made the team, I'm ready to be paired with any of my seniors in case the team need to form a scratch combination."
It's evident why Haikal was chosen over Hon Jian.
Haikal certainly brings much to the table, as he could be paired with Izzuddin as an alternative for the second doubles slot.
During his brief two-month stint with Izzuddin following a doubles department reshuffle last year, the pair managed a runner-up finish at the China Masters Super 100.
Coaching director Rexy Mainaky said: "(Compared to Hon Jian), Haikal is braver and steadier. It was a collective decision from all the coaches."
It remains to be seen whether Haikal will play any role, especially in crucial ties, as there's no room for BAM to take chances even in the tricky group stage where Malaysia face Denmark and Hong Kong.
The two points from the doubles have become even more crucial at a time when the men's singles department is grappling with injury issues.
Under the current circumstances, Aaron-Wooi Yik and Izzuddin-Sze Fei are certain for the doubles duties.
If anything, it's the exclusion of national No. 2 Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi that raises a few eyebrows.
Instead of Haikal, Ee Yi, in particular, is seen as a more capable player when it comes to forming scratch pairings.
Ee Yi had previously been paired up with Aaron and delivered some energetic performances during the 2018 Thomas Cup Finals, most notably pushing Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto to three games in the quarter-finals.
They also played together in Bangkok two years ago, defeating Akira Koga-Yuta Watanabe to help Malaysia beat Japan 3-2 and top the group.