Mumbai, 2nd June 2025: The inaugural leg of the Picklebay India Tour concluded with spectacular competition, officially launching what promises to be India’s premier pickleball circuit. The tournament’s opening edition featured some of India’s highest-ranked pickleball athletes, including India’s No. 8 Avinash Kumar, No. 17 Surya Samarth Mishra, and veteran champion Himanshu Diwaskar, one of the nation’s top-ranked players in the 35+ category. Their participation set the tone for an ambitious tour that kicked off with resounding success from 31st May to 1st June at St. Xavier’s Technical Institute.
The tour’s opening tournament featured a Rs 3 lakh prize pool and attracted intense competition across nine categories, bringing together nearly 200 athletes ranging from emerging talents to seasoned professionals. This strong debut signals the tour’s potential to become a cornerstone of India’s growing pickleball landscape.
Notably, the Mumbai leg also saw strong participation from players who travelled from neighbouring cities such as Pune, Gujarat, and other parts of western India, underscoring the growing regional interest and reach of the sport.
Major Upsets and Standout Performances
The tour’s opening tournament delivered its biggest highlight in the Men’s Open Singles final, where rising star Arik Badami delivered a stunning upset victory over India’s No. 8 Avinash Kumar. Badami’s confident court play and tactical precision overwhelmed Kumar in a decisive 15-8 victory, earning him the gold medal and Rs 17,500 in prize money—setting an exciting precedent for the competition level expected throughout the tour.
India’s No. 17 Surya Samarth Mishra also competed in this category but was eliminated in the quarterfinals following a hard-fought match against Ritesh Jaiswal.
In the Women’s Open Singles, Snehal Patil dominated the competition, defeating Aalyka Ebrahim 11-4 in the final to claim the title and Rs 17,500. The Women’s Open Doubles witnessed the sibling duo of Aalyka and Aaliya Ebrahim overpowering Bhakti and Anjali Pol 15-5 to secure the championship and matching prize money.
The Men’s Open Doubles final delivered edge-of-the-seat drama as Aditya Singh and Gaurav Rane narrowly defeated Maitreya Bhagat and Himansh Mehta 15-13 in an intensely contested match. The victorious pair claimed both the gold medal and Rs 17,500.
Veteran Excellence and Category Winners
Veteran experience dominated the 35+ Men’s Doubles, where 47-year-old Himanshu Diwaskar partnered with Niraj Jain to comprehensively defeat Ritesh Acharya and Rohan Dsouza 15-4, winning the category and Rs 15,000. In the 35+ Men’s Singles,
Vishal Jadhav secured the title and Rs 15,000 prize money with an impressive tournament run.
The Open Mixed Doubles category saw Himansh Mehta and Snehal Patil demonstrate exceptional court chemistry and coverage to capture the gold medal and Rs 20,000 cash prize.
Strong performances also emerged in the Intermediate categories, with Tushar Shahani claiming the Intermediate Men’s Singles title and the partnership of Prashant Sugdare and Nishant Kuvare capturing the Intermediate Men’s Doubles crown. Both category winners earned Rs 20,000.
Looking Ahead
Reflecting on the successful launch, Picklebay Founder and CEO Siddhant Jatia commented, “Mumbai provided the perfect launch pad for our India tour. The turnout and competition level surpassed our expectations and validates our vision for creating a premier national circuit. Having elite players like Avinash Kumar, Surya Mishra, and Himanshu Diwaskar participate in our inaugural event truly establishes the credibility we aimed for. Our mission is to create a premier competitive platform that bridges emerging and elite talent across India—and this opening leg perfectly exemplified that vision.”
With the successful Mumbai launch now complete, the Picklebay India Tour embarks on its journey to Bengaluru for its second stop, scheduled for June 28-29.
Note: All rankings mentioned are according to DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating).
