The Indian Pickleball League (IPBL) on Tuesday announced five city-based franchises for its inaugural season, scheduled from December 1–7, 2025, at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall, Indira Gandhi Stadium, New Delhi. The league, launched by The Times Group and sanctioned by the Indian Pickleball Association under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, made the announcement at an event in Chennai attended by Thiru Udhayanidhi Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.The first set of teams includes M3M Gurugram, Nazara Mumbai, Bengaluru Blasters, Chennai Super Warriors and Hyderabad Royals. The league said the sixth team will be announced later.IPBL will feature top Indian and international players in a city-versus-city format. Welcoming the teams, 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.”Gurugram enters the league through M3M India. Pankaj Bansal, Director – M3M India, said, “Gurugram loves fast, social, high-energy sport.
Being the city’s first major league franchise makes this moment even more special.”Bengaluru Blasters will be led by Vasanth Kalyan. He said, “Bengaluru reflects the pulse of new India, quick, expressive, and competitive. Pickleball feels tailor-made for this city.”Mumbai will be represented by a franchise owned by 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 Group will field the Chennai Super Warriors. Dr Swetha Sundeep said, “Chennai has always backed competitive, high-energy sport. Pickleball adds a new dimension to that spirit, and we’re proud to represent the city in IPBL’s first season.”Hyderabad Royals will be operated by Operam Ventures. Anubhav Tyagi, Managing Director – Operam Ventures, 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.”According to the organisers, the inaugural edition aims to expand the sport through city teams, competitive events and digital platforms. |
