Indian hosts first-ever Pickleball League kicks off in Delhi with six teams

The inaugural Indian Pickleball League began in New Delhi on Monday, marking the sport’s first major professional tournament in the country and signalling a new phase in its rapid rise nationwide. Organised by The Times Group and sanctioned by the Indian Pickleball Association under the Sports Ministry, the league brings together six franchise teams competing for the maiden championship title.

The glittering trophy for the first edition was unveiled at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall of the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. Emphasising India’s expanding sports culture, she noted that pickleball, a relatively new addition to the country’s sporting landscape, has the potential to grow quickly. She added that the Delhi government intends to introduce pickleball into the school curriculum to encourage early adoption among students.

This debut edition of the league, which runs until December 7, features the Bengaluru Blasters, Hyderabad Royals, Chennai Super Warriors, Mumbai Smashers, Capital Warriors and Lucknow Leopards. All six sides will compete for the honour of becoming the league’s first champions.

Inaugurating the event, Times Group Managing Director Vineet Jain described the league’s first outing as “the start of something truly transformative”, calling it India’s confident entry onto the global pickleball stage. He said the sport offers young athletes a platform to “grow, shine and dream without limits”, adding that the long-term goal is to make pickleball India’s second-most popular sport after cricket.

To spark interest among young viewers, 500 seats at the venue have been reserved for Delhi school students to watch the matches live. Jain said the launch of this first-ever league marks a historic moment for Indian pickleball and predicted that it will be remembered as the starting point of a national sporting movement.

As the inaugural season gets underway, organisers hope the coming week will inspire more players, more fans and a stronger future for the sport across the country.