New Delhi: Hyderabad Royals became the first finalists of the Indian Pickleball League, defeating Chennai Super Warriors in a dramatic Qualifier 1 at the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium on December 6. International stars Megan Fudge and Ben Newell spearheaded a remarkable comeback after Hyderabad trailed 0–2, levelling the tie 2–2 and sealing victory in the Grand Rally.
Chennai Super Warriors, still alive in the tournament, will now compete for the final spot when they face the winner of the Eliminator between Mumbai Smashers and Lucknow Leopards.
Men’s Singles – Mitchell Hargreaves (Chennai) vs Ben Newell (Hyderabad)
Mitchell started strong with two early points for a 2-0 lead. Ben Newell, known as “Benny Bombs,” levelled the score, but Mitchell surged ahead again with a dominant five-point run to lead 8-3, forcing Ben into an early timeout.
Mitchell looked clinical throughout, earning crucial points and maintaining the lead despite Ben’s push to narrow the gap to 10-12, which forced Mitchell to take a timeout. After regrouping, Mitchell held firm, sealing the singles 15-11 and giving Chennai a 1-0 lead.
Men’s Doubles – Mitchell / Harsh Mehta (Chennai) vs Ben / Divyanshu Kataria (Hyderabad)
The Chennai pair—one of the strongest duos of the league—looked sharp from the start. Mitchell produced clutch points and Harsh reinforced his reputation as a doubles specialist. They took a 9-5 lead, forcing Hyderabad to take a timeout. Hyderabad attempted a comeback, but Chennai’s consistency prevailed as they again won 15-11, extending the lead to 2-0.
Women’s Singles – Roos van Reek (Chennai) vs Megan Fudge (Hyderabad)
Roos began with a net serve error, allowing Megan to take early control and build a 4-point lead. Though Roos reduced the margin, Megan—one of Hyderabad’s most impactful players—regained momentum to lead 7-3.
After Roos’ timeout, she came back brilliantly to level the score 7-7, forcing Megan to call her timeout. Megan responded by pushing ahead to 10-7. Roos again fought back to level the scores (12-12), showcasing her trademark grit.
But Megan held her nerve, closing the game 15-13 — the first player to defeat Roos in singles this season. Hyderabad reduced the tie deficit to 2-1.
Women’s Doubles – Roos / Aaliya Ebrahim (Chennai) vs Megan / Shreya Chakraborty (Hyderabad)
Chennai once again lost the opening point on serve. Megan dominated with forehand drives while Shreya added crucial clutch points, pushing Hyderabad to a 10-6 lead and forcing Chennai into a timeout.
After the break, Roos sharpened her play, helping Chennai reduce the deficit to 10-12. Aaliya’s unforced error widened Hyderabad’s lead again to 13-11, but Chennai fought back to level 13-13.
However, Megan and Shreya finished strongly to win 15-13, levelling the tie at 2-2, and sending the contest into the Grand Rally decider.
Grand Rally – Chennai vs Hyderabad
Hyderabad began with Ben and Divyanshu, while Chennai opened with Harsh and Mitchell. After early exchanges, Chennai led 3-2 before Megan replaced Ben and Roos replaced Mitchell. Megan’s entry shifted momentum as Hyderabad levelled 5-5.
At 5-5, Snehal replaced Divyanshu for Hyderabad, while Aaliya replaced Harsh for Chennai. Megan’s form continued, helping Snehal secure vital points.
At 9-6, Ben returned for Hyderabad and Mitchell came in for Chennai. Hyderabad built an 11-7 lead. At 12-8, Divyanshu came in again for Snehal, and Harsh replaced Aaliya. Chennai’s core duo worked their magic, levelling 12-12.
Chennai edged ahead 13-12 with Harsh’s powerful drives. Roos replaced Mitchell; Megan replaced Ben. Megan delivered yet again, levelling 14-14.
At 16-14, Snehal returned for Hyderabad while Aaliya returned for Chennai. Hyderabad tied it 16-16 with Snehal playing crucial points.
At 18-17, Ben came back in and Mitchell returned for Chennai—but Ben and Snehal delivered under pressure, closing the rally 21-17 and winning the tie 4-2, sending Hyderabad Royals into the IPBL final.
Player of the Tie:
Male: Ben Newell (Hyderabad Royals)
Female: Megan Fudge (Hyderabad Royals)
IPBL 2025 – Qualifier 1 Result Breakdown: Chennai Super Warriors vs Hyderabad Royals
| Match | Category | Chennai Super Warriors | Score | Hyderabad Royals |
| 1 | Men’s Singles | Mitchell Hargreaves | 15 – 11 | Ben Newell |
| 2 | Men’s Doubles | Mitchell Hargreaves / Harsh Mehta | 15 – 11 | Ben Newell / Divyanshu Kataria |
| 3 | Women’s Singles | Roos van Reek | 13- 15 | Megan Fudge |
| 4 | Women’s Doubles | Roos van Reek / Aaliya Ebrahim | 13 – 15 | Megan Fudge / Shreya Chakraborty |
| 5 | Grand Rally | Team Chennai | 17 – 21 | Team Hyderabad |
About the Indian Pickleball League
The Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), launched by The Times Group, is India’s official and only national league for Pickleball, sanctioned by the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA), which is recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India.
Set to debut from December 1–7, 2025, at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, the inaugural edition will establish Delhi as the epicentre of India’s next major sporting revolution. The event will bring together top Indian and international players, franchise-owned city teams, and millions of fans through live and digital platforms.
About Indian Pickleball Association:
The Indian Pickleball Association is the official governing body for pickleball in India and is dedicated to promoting, developing, and organising the sport across the country. The association continues to inspire players of all ages and skill levels to embrace the game through events like the IPA Nationals. IPA is affiliated with the Asian Pickleball Association (APA) and the Global Pickleball Federation (GPF).
About Pickleball World Ranking:
PWR is a national ranking system that spans all age groups, skill divisions, and formats -including singles, doubles, and mixed categories. It serves as the official National Sports Federation Ranking for India. With multiple sanctioned events taking place every week across the country, PWR defines the top Indian players at every level and forms the foundation for team selection at the school, district, state, and national stages.
Where to watch the live broadcasting and streaming of the Indian Pickleball League?
Catch all the live action of the Indian Pickleball League (IPBL 2025) from December 1 to 7, 2025 on ZOOM TV and Mirror NOW from 2:30 PM daily. A two-hour highlights package will air on DD Sports every night from 10 PM to 12 AM, which will also be streamed on DD’s OTT channel -Waves. In addition to TV broadcasts, Pickleball Now — the world’s first dedicated pickleball TV channel available on CTV and digital platforms– will also showcase the league. Viewers in the Indian subcontinent can watch the live streaming of IPBL 2025 on the YouTube channels of Pickleball Now, Sports Now and ZOOM. The matches will also stream live on Times Play, Times Network’s flagship OTT platform, Tata Play, and Vi Movie & TV.
Stay connected with all the latest news on Pickleball, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, tips, and inspiration you won’t find anywhere else. Your ultimate destination for all things pickleball – where the community comes together for news, views, and the sport that’s sweeping the globe. Follow us at @pickleballnow.in on Instagram and website and be part of the community!
