Hyderabad Royals falter as Mumbai Smashers lift Pickleball League title

Mumbai Smashers completed a stunning turnaround to defeat Hyderabad Royals 5-1 in the Indian Pickleball League final in Delhi. The Times Group–backed, IPA-sanctioned league saw Mumbai rise from sixth place to champions, capping their run in front of dignitaries and fans.

HYDERABAD: Mumbai Smashers charted a miracle run, going from sixth to champions with a win over Hyderabad Royals in the final of the Indian Pickleball League in Delhi —launched by The Times Group and recognised as India’s only official pickleball league sanctioned by the Indian Pickleball Association under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.

Mumbai capped their turnaround in front of Hon’ble Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Mr. Kiren Rijiju, with a 5-1 win over Hyderabad late on Sunday at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall.

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Speaking on the occasion, Mr Vineet Jain, Managing Director, Times Group, said: “Pickleball has a special quality. It has the potential to become a mass participation sport. I want to thank all the team owners, players, referees, general managers, guests, and everybody behind the league. Today was the first serve and we have lots of plans.”

An All-Star match set the tone for the Grand Finale, a glittering exhibition featuring Mr Jain, GPF President Javier Regalado, IPA President Suryaveer Singh Bhullar, DUPR CEO Tito Machado,
international star Hercilio Cabieses, team owners, dignitaries, players, coaches, and commentators. Bollywood actor Harshvardhan Rane added to the spectacle as fans packed into the arena for the star-studded affair, watching keenly as Team Dink beat Team Volley 2-1.

Sights then turned to the title showcase. Hyderabad and Mumbai arrived at the summit through vastly different routes. Hyderabad opened the league strongly, recovered from a mid-phase wobble, and closed the group stage in second. Mumbai, winless until the very last league tie, scripted a remarkable fairytale, beating Gurgaon to trigger a three-way Play-In, winning back-to-back Grand Rallies, then toppling Lucknow in the Eliminator and Chennai in Qualifier 2 to reach the title clash.