Bengaluru, 30 March 2026: 
Centre Court Sports and Entertainment has expanded its franchise based pickleball league to Bengaluru following the success of its inaugural season in Hyderabad last year. The Centre Court Pickleball league, Bengaluru will commence with its Season 1 player auction scheduled to be held at Cavore, Bengaluru later this evening.
More than 200 players have registered for the auction, from which 60 will be selected across six franchises. Each team will comprise 10 players with a minimum of three women in every squad. The six new franchise owners of league are expected to be announced at the event.
The tournament will be held from 18th April to 30th May, with matches scheduled every Saturday over seven weekends. All matches will be live streamed on YouTube, while the venue is yet to be announced.
This expansion follows a successful edition in Hyderabad last year, where the league attracted significant spectator interest with over 3,000 attendees at the final and an overall of around 9,000 across the season. The event also featured elements entertainment, including a performance by singer Lucky Ali and the organisers are looking to replicate that success in Bengaluru.
Bengaluru has emerged as a key centre for the sport, having hosted the Indian Pickleball Nationals in November 2025 and witnessed rapid growth in infrastructure with more than 80 courts across the city. The organisers aim to build on this momentum by introducing a structured and a franchise based competition.
Speaking on the development, Yashwanth Biyyala, Co-founder of Centre Court Sports & Entertainment, said, “Bengaluru represents a strategic step in our long-term vision for pickleball and hyper local sport in India. With its strong sporting infrastructure and rapidly growing player base, the city is well positioned to support a structured, franchise-led ecosystem. Through this league, we aim to establish a high quality competitive platform that nurtures talent, drives consistent engagement and contributes to the professionalisation of the sport.”
The league is expected to feature a mix of experienced players and emerging talent, including athletes transitioning from other racquet sports like tennis and badminton.
With teams set to be finalised at the auction, the league is expected to provide a platform for competitive play while contributing to the sport’s continued growth in the country.
