Tennis
Billie Jean King Cup 2026: India bank on home advantage
All you need to know about the 2026 Billie Jean King Cup Asia-Oceania Group I as India take on Thailand in opening round.
Team India during a press conference in New Delhi on Monday. (Photo credit: DLTA)
The Indian women’s tennis team will begin its Billie Jean King Cup 2025 Asia-Oceania Group I campaign against Thailand at the DLTA Complex in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The hosts will face a stiff challenge in a tightly-contested field that includes Indonesia, Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, and Thailand. All teams will play each other in a round-robin format.
Only the top two teams will get a smooth passage to the playoffs, scheduled later this year, and the bottom two will be relegated to Group II for 2027.
The Indian team is a blend of experience and youth with Ankita Raina, Rutuja Bhosle, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Vaishnavi Adkar and Zeel Desai donning the Indian colours.
Zeel received a last-minute call up after injury concerns rules Shrivalli Bhamidipaty and Vaidehee Chaudhari out.
Vishal Uppal has been named as captain of the squad while Radhika Kanitkar will serve as the coach.
Speaking at a press conference in the capital, India captain Vishal Uppal expressed confidence in his team’s preparation and readiness to perform in front of the home crowd. “We are used to much hotter conditions in April in Delhi. But the weather is something we can't control. We can control our practice sessions, and we've had some good practice sessions. And I feel the team is ready to really give it their best and perform at their optimum level,” Uppal said.
India reached the playoffs of the tournament twice in 2021 and 2025, but have failed to advance beyond each time.
April 7, Schedule:
India vs Thailand
New Zealand vs Indonesia
Republic of Korea vs Mongolia
Indian Squad:
Ankita Raina, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Rutuja Bhosle, Vaishnavi Adkar and Zeel Desai; Captain: Vishal Uppal; Coach: Radhika Kanitkar.
Where to watch?
Live telecast of the Billie Jean King Cup 2026 Asia/Oceania Group I matches will be available on the DD Sports from 3PM onwards. For live streaming will be available on the official Billie Jean King Cup website.