IPBL 2025: Mumbai Smashers register first win

Mumbai Smashers registered a timely maiden win in the Indian Pickleball League—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—to keep their knockout hopes alive on Friday.

A 4–2 victory over Capital Warriors Gurgaon set the tone, before Hyderabad Royals battled back to hold Bengaluru Blasters to a 3–3 draw. Later, Lucknow Leopards handed leaders Chennai Super Warriors their first loss in a 4-2 thriller.

The results created an extraordinary deadlock, with three knockout hopefuls level on Tie Points, Match Points, and Head-to-Head, forcing a three-team play-in between Mumbai, Gurgaon, and Bengaluru for the final knockout spot.

The round-robin mini-tournament—Grand Rallies to 25 points—will be contested on Saturday. If no clear winner emerges, qualification will be decided by the difference between points won and lost across both the Grand Rallies.

Day 5 action unfolded in front of Bollywood actress Kriti Kharbanda, star of Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana, Housefull 4, and more, at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall.

Mumbai and Gurgaon opened the day needing a win.

World No. 3 Quang Duong set Mumbai roaring with a ruthless 15–1 demolition of Arik Badami, but Gurgaon hit back as Stavya Bhasin and Jack Munro controlled the kitchen line beautifully to take the men’s doubles 15–9.

Allison Harris steadied Mumbai with a 15–11 win after surviving an Emilia Schmidt fightback, before Schmidt and Naimi Mehta levelled the tie again with a 15–12 women’s doubles victory.

The Grand Rally turned into a nerve-jangler, the sides locked point for point until Mumbai surged late to clinch a dramatic 21–18 finish, sealing their first victory of the season. Ammol Ramchandani (Mumbai) and Schmidt earned Player of the Tie honours.

Bengaluru Blasters then entered a must-win clash against already-qualified Hyderabad Royals.

Phuc Huynh held off Divyanshu Kataria 15–10 in men’s singles and returned with Arjun Singh to repeat the scoreline in the doubles, pushing Bengaluru 2–0 up. Pei Chuan Kao delivered one of the performances of the league, recovering from an early deficit and dominating the kitchen line to outfox Megan Fudge 15–13 for a 3–0 lead.

Hyderabad hit back through Fudge and Shreya Chakraborty, who took the women’s doubles 15–7, before edging a tense Grand Rally 21–19 to force a 3–3 draw. Arjun and Kao were named Players of the Tie.

Later, third-place Lucknow struck first against runaway leaders Chennai in a dead-rubber tie, with Ryler DeHeart edging Aman Patel 15–12 before partnering Aditya Ruhela to take the men’s doubles 15–13 for a 2–0 lead. Chennai steadied through the ever-reliable Roos van Reek, who extended her perfect singles record with a dominant 15–3 win over Shelby Bates.

The women’s doubles tightened the contest, but van Reek and Aaliya Ebrahim held firm for a 15–11 victory to level the tie 2-2.

Lucknow retaliated in the Grand Rally, winning 21-18 and handing Chennai their first loss, with Ruhela and van Reek named Players of the Tie.

Following the results, Chennai and Hyderabad will compete in the Qualifier on Saturday for a Grand Finale berth, with the winner progressing onward. Lucknow will contest Eliminator 1 against the play-in winner. The winner of Eliminator 1 and the losing team from the Qualifier will meet in Eliminator 2 for a final spot.