India Launches IPA-Sanctioned Indian Pickleball League Set for December

“The launch of IPBL marks a defining milestone for pickleball in India. IPBL, sanctioned by IPA, is a national sports federation under the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs. This league represents the scale and structure needed to take the sport to the next level,” said IPA President Suryaveer Singh Bhullar during the league’s formal launch. “Over the years, the IPA has worked to build a strong grassroots foundation, and today, with IPBL, we are creating a national platform that will help shape pickleball into an Indian sport, one that goes beyond competition and victories to champion fitness, participation and a healthier nation.”

The inaugural IPBL will feature several teams from all across India and will be a platform for both the country’s top pickleball players and its rising stars. The teams will compete in a round-robin before going into the knockout stage playoffs that will determine the teams playing in the grand finale. IPBL action promises to be dynamic, fast-paced and thrilling, showcasing the best pickleball talent of India and giving fans a showcase they will surely enjoy.

Vineet Jain, Managing Director at The Times Group, said: “We are proud to introduce the Indian Pickleball League, a landmark initiative that marks the next leap in India’s sporting evolution. As the only league in the country officially sanctioned by the Indian Pickleball Association, our vision is to build a professional, credible, and inclusive platform that unites top talent from across India and showcases our nation’s growing prowess in one of the world’s fastest-emerging sports. The League goes beyond competition, it’s a movement to inspire participation, elevate performance, and bring Pickleball into the sporting mainstream with India leading the charge on the global stage.”

The IPBL’s launch, incidentally, comes at a time when pickleball is witnessing explosive growth in India. Testament to that growth was the country’s seventh-place finish in the medal tally of the 2025 Pickleball World Cup, where the Indian delegation served notice to the rest of the world that it is an emerging pickleball powerhouse.