Indian Pickleball League: Lucknow, Hyderabad and Chennai score opening-day wins

New Delhi, Dec 1 (PTI) Lucknow Leopards, Hyderabad Royals, and Chennai Super Warriors delivered statement victories on the opening day of the inaugural Indian Pickleball League here on Monday.

India’s top-ranked

star Aditya Ruhela defeated Vietnamese international Phuc Huynh 15–10 in a commanding season starter as Lucknow handed Bengaluru Blasters a 4–1 loss.

The momentum carried into the second tie, where Hyderabad Royals secured a composed 4–2 win over Capital Warriors Gurgaon, taking all four early matches before Warriors clawed back with a spirited Grand Rally finish.

Chennai Super Warriors then bounced back from a match down to sweep their tie against Mumbai Smashers 5-1 in the league, launched by The Times Group and sanctioned by the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA) under the Sports Ministry.

Lucknow Leopards exploded into the IPBL with a commanding 4–1 win over the Bengaluru Blasters, with Ruhela setting the tempo with a sharp 15–10 takedown of Huynh.

Bengaluru briefly clawed back in men’s doubles, but from there it was all Lucknow, Shelby Bates tore through women’s singles 15–5, then paired with Pearl Amalsadiwala for a gritty 15–13 doubles win that flipped the tie decisively.

A 21–17 Grand Rally sealed it, sending the Leopards into full celebration mode as Ryler Deheart and Bates claimed Player of the tie honours.

Hyderabad Royals delivered their own statement win, overpowering Capital Warriors Gurgaon 4–2.

Ben Newell stole the early momentum, edging a tense 15–13 opener and then teaming with Divyanshu Kataria to take men’s doubles. Seasoned winner Megan Fudge followed with the day’s tightest thriller, a 15–14 singles victory, before closing out women’s doubles 15–10 alongside Snehal Patil.

Gurgaon took the Grand Rally, but Hyderabad had already sealed a commanding tie, powered by poise, pressure play, and big-match clarity. Hyderabad’s Newell and Fudge were adjudged the Best Male and Female Players of the Tie, respectively.

In the day’s last tie, DUPR men’s singles World No. 3 Quang Duong set the Smashers up with the perfect start, defeating Mitchell Hargreaves 15-12. Hargreaves, however, partnered with Harsh Mehta to sweep the men’s doubles 15-9.

With momentum on their side, Chennai raced to a 4-1 lead with Roos van Reek winning the women’s singles, and the van Reek and Aaliya partnership claiming victory in the women’s doubles.

With a 21-18 victory in the Grand Rally, Chennai capped off their perfect night with van Reek and Mehta claiming the Players of the Tie honours. PTI APA AH AH