Pickleball Goes Digital in India with Launch of Picklebay
by Joe James
What’s the Score?
Picklebay, described as India’s first end-to-end pickleball platform has officially launched.
The platform is dedicated to making the sport accessible for everyone and revolutionising how players engage across the country.
Finally launched, Picklebay offers court discovery, tournament management, and community features and has the most court listings in India across six major cities: Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad.
Picklebay aims to bridge the gap between players and available courts, addressing the challenge posed by limited court availability in urban areas.
Fostering a dedicated pickleball community brings a belief that Picklebay will boost engagement among enthusiasts, contributing to the sport's swift expansion in India.
Picklebay Founder, Siddhant Jatia said: “Pickleball is more than just a sport—it’s a movement that brings people together. Our goal with Picklebay is to create an ecosystem where every player, whether a beginner or a professional, finds a home. We are committed to making pickleball accessible to all, across cities, communities, and skill levels.”
Hit it Deeper
The last few months have seen some significant events in India’s pickleball scene.
The Indian Open took place from February 3 to February 9 at the NESCO Goregaon in Mumbai. Global Sports organised the event, which was led by founder Hemal Jain and co-founders Niraj Jain, Divyesh Jain, and Suresh Bhansali.
Over 1,200 players competed in the tournament, which received Bollywood backing from writer and director Shashank Khaitan, who joined as a partner. Filmmaker Karan Johar also served as a brand ambassador.
The PWR DUPR India League suffered two disappointing setbacks this year. Originally set for a January 2025 start date at Mumbai’s Jio World Convention Centre, the event was pushed back to March 17. But it has since been cancelled again, with more time needed to understand the tournament and other infrastructural hiccups being cited. The delays have raised concerns about the league’s stability and the implication of such a major event stalling.
On a more joyous note, the launch of the World Pickleball League (WPBL) was a resounding success in its inaugural season. Featuring six teams, representing the regions of Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi, the event was broadcast to around 12 million pickleball fans. It was streamed exclusively on FanCode as Sony Sports Network secured television rights, not to mention partnerships with Volvo and Barclays.
With casual players considered, pickleball in India has approximately 100,000 players, and the number is expected to grow year on year. With a thousand or so courts primed and ready for players, that is almost a certainty. However, it does not take a complex equation to work out that the demand outweighs the supply, and that must change.
World Pickleball Verdict
Pickleball in India is at a crossroads, albeit a fascinating one. The sport's explosion is clear to see, with huge flagship events, celebrity endorsements, and a wave of new players competing casually, from Mumbai to Chennai. The Indian Open and WPBL were symptomatic of this, with thousands of players, millions of viewers (WPBL), Bollywood backing, and serious buzz. This pickleball craze is no fad.
There is also an element of chaos at play here.
Something reminiscent of a Jekyll and Hyde scenario is unfolding this year. On the one hand, you have the promise of professional leagues like the World Pickleball League, emerging with city-based franchises, full schedules, broadcast deals and famous faces dotted everywhere, like Sunil Gavaskar, the Indian cricket legend himself. But there have also been frustrating delays in the PWR DUPR India League, which is facing an uncertain future and doesn’t seem to have found its footing.
On the infrastructure front, there is also a dilemma: There are only around 1,000 dedicated pickleball courts, compared to the 100,000 players clambering for those spots. Major cities and regions may find a court easy to come by, but outside of that, not so much.
But this is where the prospect of Picklebay is hoping to develop or at least remedy some of those issues. When there’s so much change, and so much excitement, the system and growth can feel slightly fragmented, but they are certain that this will be India’s first end-to-end platform, promising to smoothen out and streamline the entire process. It is very early, yet a great step in the right direction and it helps to manage expectations, supply and demand.
Of course, there is a lot to figure out, such as adding more courts, continuing brand support, and ensuring big aspirations are realised, but the path is still looking clear. India’s Pickleball explosion is still new, but it is truly fascinating.