Pickleball in India 2026: Where to Play, How to Start and Tournaments in 4 Cities

Three years ago, most people in India hadn't heard of pickleball. Now there are courts on mall rooftops in Jaipur, in Gurgaon sports complexes and behind South Delhi schools, and weekend slots book out. This guide covers how big pickleball has become in India, what it costs, where to play in Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Mumbai and Jaipur, and the tournaments worth entering, from the team that has run nearly 20 pickleball events across those cities.

How big is pickleball in India?

Pickleball came to India in 2006, when Sunil Valavalkar brought it back from Canada. He founded the All India Pickleball Association (AIPA) in 2008, and AIPA joined the International Pickleball Federation in 2015. For years it stayed niche. Then, between 2023 and 2025, it exploded.

The pro scene has grown too. India hosted its first PWR World Tour event, the PWR DUPR India Masters, in Delhi in October 2024 with about 750 players, and the franchise-based World Pickleball League launched at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai in early 2025.

Why so fast? Pickleball is cheap, small and easy. A court is a fraction of the size and building cost of a tennis or padel court, the underhand serve means beginners rally within minutes, and doubles makes it social by default.

What pickleball costs in India

Booking-app prices are "from" prices for a slot, often 30 minutes, so check the final price before paying. Paddles usually cost extra to rent.

Where to play pickleball in Delhi NCR

Delhi NCR has the deepest court list in the country. Hudle alone lists about 70 pickleball venues in Gurgaon and more than 20 in Delhi.

FindYourFit has played at REPPP, CoPlay Vasant Kunj, GD Goenka Sports Arena, Speedup Club in Khan Market and Dirty Good. Our pickleball courts in Delhi NCR guide has the full list.

Where to play pickleball in Bangalore

FindYourFit launched Pickleball Palooza in Bangalore at Go Rally, Indiranagar, in May 2025 and has since played at Depot 18, Jayamahal.

Where to play pickleball in Mumbai

Mumbai's pickleball courts often share space with padel. Venues include the Cricket Club of India (home of the World Pickleball League's first season), Khar Gymkhana, Torba Pickleball Centre in Bandra West, Hiray College Padel & Pickleball Park in Bandra, Urban Sports Zone Padel and Pickleball in Vile Parle and Mahalaxmi, PickPad by AIM Sports in Goregaon West, and The CourtRoom in Chembur. Prices vary widely, so compare on Hudle and District.

Where to play pickleball in Jaipur

Jaipur is small but enthusiastic, and it's where FindYourFit has run the most pickleball editions.

FindYourFit pickleball tournaments: 2024 to 2026

FindYourFit's Pickleball Palooza is a one-day amateur tournament with music, food and prizes, and its Cups are team leagues. Here's what's been played, straight from FindYourFit's live event records:

What happens at a FindYourFit Pickleball Palooza

No two Paloozas have been identical, but they've used four formats you'll see again:

• Rotating partners. You sign up alone or as a pair, partners change every round, and the leaderboard counts the points you actually score, not just wins. Bangalore's first Palooza used this: rally points to 11, at least nine matches per player, then knockouts and a grand finale. It's the most social format and the best one for a first tournament.
• Pairs tournaments. Fixed doubles pairs play a round robin in groups of four, usually to 15 rally points with a golden point at 14-14, then single-elimination knockouts.
• Team Wars. Teams of three (for men, one player had to be 35 or older) play each other in ties. Delhi NCR's first team-format tournament, in April 2025.
• Grid Games. Bangalore's August 2025 edition split players into small groups across four themed courts (Triangle, Circle, Star and Umbrella), with fast physical and mental challenges between pickleball rounds.

On top of the matches, most editions have live music, food stalls, off-court games and prizes. The Cups are the serious end: the Delhi Cup in December 2025 drafted 40 players into 10 teams through a player auction and played for a ₹5 lakh prize.

Ratings: what "4.0" means

Some events ask for your rating. Pickleball uses a skill scale where about 2.0-3.0 is a beginner, 3.5 is a solid recreational player, 4.0 is a strong club player and 5.0+ is tournament level. India's international events, like the PWR DUPR India Masters, use DUPR, a global rating that updates from your match results. FindYourFit's Jaipur Cup 2.0 used the scale to balance teams: each team of four needed one player aged 35+, one advanced player (4.0+) and two intermediate players (below 4.0). If you don't have a rating yet, choose the beginner or open category and be honest about how long you've played.

A quick pickleball glossary

For more terms, see our pickleball glossary for beginners.

What you need to start

• Paddle. Rent one for your first few sessions. When you buy, a composite or graphite paddle in the mid-weight range suits most beginners.
• Balls. Outdoor balls are harder and have more, smaller holes; indoor balls are softer with fewer, larger holes. Venues usually supply them.
• Shoes. Court or tennis shoes with good side support. Running shoes don't grip well on lateral movement.
• Nothing else. No special clothing, no membership. That's a big part of why the sport spread so fast.

Pickleball in Hyderabad

Hyderabad is FindYourFit's fifth city. In KheloMore's booking data reported by The CapTable, Hyderabad comes just behind Mumbai, Bangalore, Gujarat and Pune for growth. FindYourFit Sports includes Hyderabad on its circuit, and new dates go up on the Hyderabad events page.

The beginner's path: from first rally to first tournament

1. Book an hour for four. Use Hudle, District or Playo. Rent paddles.
2. Learn the three rules that trip people up: the serve is underhand and diagonal, the ball must bounce once on each side before anyone volleys (the two-bounce rule), and you can't volley while standing in the kitchen (the 7-foot zone by the net). Our doubles rules guide covers them, including the 2026 changes.
3. Play social games. Open play sessions and rotating-partner formats let you meet players at your level.
4. Enter a rotating-partner tournament. FindYourFit's Bangalore and Jaipur Paloozas have used formats where partners change every round and you play nine or more short matches. It's the gentlest first tournament there is.
5. Join a team. FindYourFit Sports lets you sign up as a team of three or solo, and the Cups mix experience levels by design.

Pickleball vs padel

Both are booming, and FindYourFit runs both. Pickleball is cheaper to play, quicker to learn and works as singles or doubles; padel is pricier, played only as doubles, and uses the walls. See padel vs pickleball for a city-by-city comparison, or Padel in India 2026 for the padel side.

Find your first tournament

Upcoming pickleball tournaments are on the Pickleball & Padel Palooza page and the city pages: Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Mumbai and Jaipur.

Sources: The CapTable, India's pickleball ecosystem (Mar 2025); Pickleball in India, Wikipedia; LBB Delhi, pickleball courts; Hudle: Delhi, Gurgaon, Bengaluru; Pickleheads: Play All, Orbit Mall; Hudle: Mumbai padel and pickleball venues; FindYourFit event records.