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Home > Sunday Mid Day News > Pickleball India Open 2025 Heres why the sport is becoming popular in Mumbai

Pickleball India Open 2025: Here's why the sport is becoming popular in Mumbai

Updated on: 03 February,2025 01:20 PM IST  |  Mumbai
Anand Singh | smdmail@mid-day.com

The name’s catchy, and the game’s simple and fun—here’s why pickleball fascinates Mumbai, which is set to host the sport’s inaugural Indian Open 2025 from tomorrow

Pickleball India Open 2025: Here's why the sport is becoming popular in Mumbai

Aneesh Bhasin, co-founder of Svami Drinks, plays both paddle tennis and pickleball, and aims to compete in higher level tournaments soon. He believes it’s unfair to label the latter as a “non-serious sport” without truly understanding it. Pic/Anurag Ahire

When he started playing pickleball in 2020, little did Armaan Bhatia know that he would become India’s number-one player. The Khar-based athlete’s motive behind picking up the sport was purely fun—it was a hobby and a way to stay active during the COVID-19 pandemic.


“I used to play tennis, but I wanted to try a new sport. A friend suggested pickleball, so I gave it a try. Back then, I didn’t even know I’d play professionally,” recalls Bhatia. It wasn’t until 2022, when he won his first national-level tournament, that he realised pickleball could be more than just a hobby.


The 25-year-old says, “Even then, I was playing for the joy of it, not with any grand ambitions. I wasn’t going out of my way to compete; I wasn’t hitting the gym or maintaining a diet like a professional athlete. Those things have come into the picture now.”


Armaan Bhatia, one of hottest names in international pickleball right now, says India has the potential be the best country in the sport. Pic/InstagramArmaan Bhatia, one of hottest names in international pickleball right now, says India has the potential be the best country in the sport. Pic/Instagram

While Bhatia had a knack for the sport and a natural talent which he may be too humble to admit, many amateurs turned professional soon after they picked up the sport in the last five years. They will now test their mettle at the inaugural edition of the Pickleball Indian Open tournament that will be hosted at Goregaon East starting tomorrow, till February 9.

With reportedly over 50,000 players and over 1,000 courts countrywide, it turns out that India is one of the leading countries in the sport that has taken the world by storm. Though invented in the US in 1965, the sport picked up globally only during the COVID-19 pandemic.

And the city has emerged as the hub of the sport in India, with 120 courts in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region—the highest number across the country. Delhi comes next, with 80 pickleball courts. One of the reasons Mumbai has made the sport more popular is perhaps because of celebrities like Alia Bhatt, Aamir Khan, Karan Johar, Janhvi Kapoor, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and many more who have taken to it. 

Pranav KohliPranav Kohli

But its appeal is not just because of the pop culture link. Many see it as a light and fun sport that is easy to pick up, blending elements of tennis, badminton, and ping pong. The game is played with a perforated plastic ball and smooth paddle, on a court that’s about half the size of a tennis court. The rules are not too complex, making it accessible for beginners, but as players gain experience, it quickly becomes challenging, fast-paced, and competitive.

Bhatia believes that India may have the potential to become number one globally. “The US is undoubtedly the leader in pickleball, given that it’s the sport’s country of origin. They have superior facilities, more experienced coaches, and a well-established ecosystem that has been growing for years,” Bhatia explains. “However, I firmly believe that India is on a trajectory to not only catch up but potentially surpass the US in the coming years—if not within the next two years, then certainly within three.”

Belapur-based Poorva Chavan was on the lookout for a tennis academy when she stumbled upon a Reddit thread that mentioned pickleball. “I got curious, did a little more digging, and eventually found a community playing it nearby in Kharghar,” she tells Sunday mid-day. It has now been nearly two months that she has been playing the sport.

(From left) Babita Saini, Poorva Chavan, Karunesh Sharma and Srijith Shivan play pickleball with a larger group at least twice a week in Kharghar(From left) Babita Saini, Poorva Chavan, Karunesh Sharma and Srijith Shivan play pickleball with a larger group at least twice a week in Kharghar

She explains, “I have never really learned any other sport before, and I wanted to give this a shot. And I have been lucky to have a supportive community around me.”

She went for beginner sessions at the Kharghar court, where she was taught the rules, techniques, and even the sport’s history, but “one can learn this sport on their own also, as there’s so much information online, from YouTube videos to tutorials”, she says.

Nearly all the players we spoke to, amateur or professional, had one thing in common—they were all drawn to some sort of racquet sport but chose pickleball paddles over traditional racquets when they discovered it. Malabar Hill-resident Rushabh Mody was just starting to venture into paddle tennis when he discovered pickleball.

“Paddle tennis is closer to tennis, but pickleball has its own unique vibe,” he explains. “It’s easier to pick up, and you can get the hang of it in just 20 minutes, even if you’ve never played before.” It’s been one-and-a-half years since he picked up the sport. In a few years, he may be regarded as one of the first-generation players of the sport, given it’s just five years old in India, with a major boost only after 2022.

Spending time with friends is another major factor driving pickleball’s popularity. Nearly every amateur player we spoke to mentioned that when their friends hear about them playing pickleball, they are naturally intrigued for two reasons: First, they are curious about what pickleball is, and second, the name itself has a fun ring to it. Chavan says, “Exploring and learning a new game together creates a shared experience, making it a great way to bond and enjoy quality time with friends.”

But as more and more people choose pickleball over traditional racquet sports, one may wonder, “Will pickleball overtake other racquet sports?” Experts think that’s a long shot. “I don’t see pickleball overtaking tennis in popularity anytime soon, given tennis’s massive viewership and legacy. It’s hard to compete with that kind of history,” says Bhatia.

Many, however, believe the sport may surpass badminton or table tennis due to its ease of adaptation.

But there are those who aspire for greater things with this new sport. When Aneesh Bhasin, co-founder of Svami Drinks, first picked up pickleball and paddle tennis, he approached the two racquet sports as seriously as any other sport. “I have been playing paddle tennis for about nine months and pickleball for six months now,” he shares. “It started casually with a group of friends, but it quickly became a regular part of my routine. Now, I play the sport six days a week.”

For Bhasin, paddle tennis takes the lead when it comes to intensity. “Paddle is a more rigorous sport—it gives me a better workout,” he explains. “Pickleball, especially singles, can be tiring too, but paddle is definitely more demanding.” Despite his preference for paddle, he doesn’t dismiss pickleball as a casual sport. In fact, he believes it’s unfair to label it as a “non-serious sport” without truly understanding it. “The intensity of any sport depends on how seriously you take it,” he says.

His goal is clear: he wants to compete at a higher level. “I know my friends might laugh, and my coach might have a heart attack hearing this, but I want to get good enough to reach the semis and the finals of tournaments within the next year,” he says.

Cost is a factor that might get in the way of the sport’s mass appeal. At the moment, pickleball is perceived as an elite activity popular among celebrities and the wealthy. What adds to this perception is that the best courts predominantly fall in upscale neighbourhoods such as Juhu, Bandra, and South Mumbai, although there are quite a few courts now across the suburbs as well.

Court fees in Mumbai range from Rs 1,400 to Rs 4,000 per hour, and as per experts, a decent pickleball paddle costs around Rs 6,000-8,000, and the top-end ones go up to Rs 20,000 and above, making it an expensive sport to pursue seriously. However, Mody, who plays at the Mathuradas Mill Compound facility in Lower Parel, mentions that court rental costs are typically shared among the players, so it comes up to Rs 700 to Rs 2,000 per person.

Community members are now working to remove the high barrier to entry into the sport, making it more accessible for all. Pranav Kohli, CEO of Pickleball United, a US-registered company that manufactures pickleball-related products in Bihar, explains, “When I first stepped into the world of pickleball in 2022, Mumbai was quickly adopting the sport. Coupled with celebrity endorsements, we could tell that the sport had the potential to go pan-India. But for that to happen, it couldn’t remain an expensive and niche sport. We wanted to make it accessible to the masses.”

Kohli’s brand started by offering “access paddles” at affordable prices, starting at Rs 999 and Rs 1,499. “This was a game-changer. Compared to other racquet sports like tennis or paddle tennis, where equipment can cost thousands, we wanted to ensure that anyone could pick up a paddle and play.”

From an infrastructure standpoint, too, pickleball is already more affordable than many other racket sports. Experts told Sunday mid-day that while a tennis court costs around Rs 20 lakh to construct, a pickleball court costs just Rs 5-5.5 lakh.

While pickleball has gained significant popularity in recent years, government recognition of the sport is still a long way off. Kohli, also the Founder and CEO of Pickleball World Rankings (a unified global ranking system), says, “Internationally, pickleball isn’t yet recognised by the Olympic Committee, which makes it harder for the Indian government to support it. But we’re working closely with the Global Pickleball Federation, the Asian Pickleball Association, and the Indian Pickleball Association to change that.”

50K
No. Of players in the country

120
No. of pickleball courts in MMR

Rs 1.4K to Rs 4K
Hourly charge for pickleball courts in the city

Rs 1K-Rs 20K
Cost of a pickleball paddle

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