Five teams of the inaugural Indian Pickleball League (IPBL) were unveiled in Chennai. The IPBL, launched by The Times Group, is recognised as the country’s only pickleball league sanctioned by the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA), under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Gurgaon Capital Warriors, Mumbai Smashers, Bengaluru Blasters, Chennai Super Warriors, and Hyderabad Royals are the five teams. The inaugural season of the IPBL.
will be held at New Delhi’s KD Jadhav Indoor Hall at the Indira Gandhi Stadium from December 1 to 7, 2025. A sixth team will be added soon, an IPBL statement said.
Udhayanidhi Stalin, the deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu, was present at the event where the teams were unveiled.
Welcoming the franchises, Vineet Jain, Managing Director, The Times Group, said, “These teams represent the scale, ambition, and reach that define the Indian Pickleball League. Together, they bring a fresh competitive spirit that will help make pickleball a modern fixture in India’s sporting landscape.”
M3M India, Nazara Technologies, Accord Distillers & Brewers and Operam Ventures are the backers of the teams.
Speaking on the occasion, Pankaj Bansal, Director, M3M India, owners of the Gurugram franchise said, “Gurugram loves fast, social, high-energy sport. Being the city’s first major league franchise makes this moment even more special.”
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Vasanth Kalyan, CEO of Bengaluru Blasters noted, “Bengaluru reflects the pulse of new India, quick, expressive, and competitive. Pickleball feels tailor-made for this city.”
The Mumbai team’s promoter is Absolute Sports, a subsidiary of Nazara Technologies. Nitish Mittersain, CEO, Nazara Technologies, said, “Mumbai thrives on speed, skill, and competition. Pickleball fits right in, and we’re excited to champion the city in a league built for the future.”
Accord Distillers & Brewers are the promoters of the Chennai team. Swetha Sundeep, of the Accord Group, said, “Chennai has always backed competitive, high-energy sport.
Anubhav Tyagi, Managing Director of Operam Ventures, the owners of the Hyderabad team said, “Hyderabad is ready for the next big sport. Pickleball has found early, enthusiastic adoption here, and IPBL gives us a national stage to build on that momentum.”
