IPBL: Inside India’s official pickleball league

Nestled within the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, the New Delhi’s KD Jadhav Indoor Hall is bustling with activity. Six teams are locked in battle and up for grabs is the coveted champions’ title of the Indian Pickleball League (IPBL) - a new league that is changing the landscape of the sport in the country. 

With the inaugural edition taking place between December 1 and 7, 2025 in New Delhi, the IPBL is emerging as the country’s first official pickleball league, sanctioned by the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA), endorsed by the Global Pickleball Federation (GPF) and recognised by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs.

The IPBL comes at a time when the sport is witnessing rapid global growth and is being celebrated for its accessibility and fast-paced energy.

With over five million players and a $1.3 billion market worldwide, the sport's rise is undeniable. In India, pickleball is expanding rapidly across key cities, with participation projected to reach a million by 2028. Around 80% of its players are in the age group of 18 and 50 years, making it a sport that can be played by people of all ages.

The IPBL now builds on this momentum, bringing the vibrancy of this youth-driven, inclusive sport into the national spotlight. 

The week-long spectacle is showcasing India’s top pickleball talent alongside leading international players, captivating fans of the sport from across the country and overseas.

IPBL: The pathway

The League, launched by The Times Group, has brought together six franchise-owned teams including Bengaluru Blasters, Chennai Super Warriors, Capital Warriors Gurgaon, Hyderabad Royals, Lucknow Leopards, and Mumbai Smashers.

Each team consists of six players that were handpicked during the player draft. Additionally, every team is made up of a Super Star Male, Super Star Female, Indian Star Male, Indian Star Female, Rising Star Male, and Rising Star Female players.

The format hands every team with ample match-time. In the initial stage, all the teams play each other at least once during the tournament. After the round-robin stage, the top four teams advance to the knockouts and qualifiers.

Ranking system: The way forward

The IPA, affiliated with the Asian Pickleball Association (APA) and the Global Pickleball Federation (GPF), has adopted the PWR ranking system.

PWR is a comprehensive ranking framework that covers all age groups, skill levels, and formats, including singles, doubles, and mixed events.

“We’ve adopted the PWR ranking system for a uniform ranking of players across India, with tournaments ranging from PWR 50 to PWR 2000. Players are still getting used to it, but next year, the tournament calendar will make the system’s importance clear. We’ll also start selecting the India team based on these rankings,” IPA President Suryaveer Singh Bhullar told The Bridge.

PWR underpins the country’s competitive structure, with multiple sanctioned tournaments held every week. It helps identify the top performers at every level and forms the basis for team selection at the school, district, state, and national stages.

A roadmap to Nationals

In what is clearly a breakthrough moment for the sport, the IPBL has been designed with a clear focus on nurturing homegrown talent and accelerating India’s rise in global pickleball.

“IPBL is a league for India, for Indian players. As you see, every team has mostly Indian players, with just one male and one female international player. It will make our players aspire to do well, create an international platform for them, and give them a chance to compete with the best players. This league is really going to spiral the sport forward in India,” said Bhullar. 

With teams built predominantly around Indian players, the league ensures maximum exposure and opportunity for domestic stars.

“I was in Manila for the Global Pickleball Federation AGM of which India is a permanent member. We are the one vote right member out of 76 countries. On the last day, we put the league live feed on the screen and it made quite an impact on everybody. All global leaders were extremely impressed,” Bhullar told this publication.

With IPBL making an immediate impact, awareness of pickleball in the country is at an all-time high and the league is poised to inspire countless new players to take up the sport in future.