Corporate giants, celebrities fuel India’s pickleball revolution
World Pickleball League (WPBL), India’s first franchise-based pickleball league, has sparked significant corporate investment and celebrity participation. Launched on Friday at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium, the WPBL brings together top companies and renowned personalities to promote the rapidly growing sport.
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The league features six teams: Mumbai Pickle Power, co-owned by Swiggy and Rishabh Pant; Bengaluru Jawans, owned by Priya Atlee and Atlee; Chennai Super Champs, led by Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Pune United, supported by Sudhir and Sunanda Mehta (EKA Mobility and Pinnacle Industries), Ajeenkya and Pooja Patil (Ajeenkya DY Patil University), and Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh; Hyderabad Superstars, backed by KLO Sports, Rakul Preet Singh, and Jackky Bhagnani; and Dilli Dillwale, owned by Ashok Amritraj (Hyde Park Entertainment), Ankiti Bose and Krishan Rattan (Terra Invest), and Sunil and Rohan Gavaskar.
The league, spearheaded by Natekar Sports and Gaming (NSG) under former tennis player Gaurav Natekar, has secured backing from Sony Entertainment Talent Ventures India (SETVI). NSG plans to invest $10 million in the league over the next 3–5 years. SETVI, a joint venture between Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment, plays a key role in the league’s operations.
