Ahmedabad: By day, Heytvi Gandhi is a clinical psychologist. By night, she swaps her notepad for a paddle and dives into Ahmedabad’s growing pickleball scene. Every strike makes her part of a community that is transforming Ahmedabad’s night life – from indulging in ice cream, coffee, and tea by 10 pm to playing a sport past midnight.
When 26-year-old Gandhi moved from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, making social connections felt like a challenge. That changed in August last year, when she co-founded Paddle Play.
Joining a pickleball game through Paddle Play is simple – members share the venue’s name, location, and timing in a dedicated WhatsApp group, and whoever is free just shows up.
“What started with two-three people is now a community of 2,500 individuals,” Gandhi told The Print. “Ahmedabad never really had many leisure activities. Pickleball took off because it’s easy to learn. Now, it has become a medium to bond and network.”
Pickleball courts are the new LinkedIn and Bumble for Ahmedabad – sites for networking and finding dates. They are doing to India what bowling alleys do in the US.
Building a sporting culture
A mix of tennis and table tennis, pickleball is drawing families and professionals, young and old, to the court. The sport has turned the conservative, early-to-bed, dry state culture into a youthful vibe. Forget clubs and lounges—Ahmedabad’s action now unfolds on blue-brown pickleball courts, lit up like cricket stadiums, with games running from 9 pm to 4 am.
Communities like Paddle Play also team up with corporates to solidify pickleball’s place as the go-to recreational sport.
“Small IT companies organise pickleball events for their employees as refreshments. They usually book three-four courts for their employees,” said Aalap Sharma, Secretary, Gujarat State Pickleball Association.
This ties in neatly with Ahmedabad’s newfound desire to build a sporting future. The Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s largest international cricket stadium, has already hosted high-profile sports and cultural events. Now, the city has set its eyes on securing the biggest share of Gujarat’s massive investments in sports infrastructure, training academies, and grassroots development.
What started with two-three people is now a community of 2,500 individuals – Heytvi Gandhi, Co-Founder, Paddle Play
It is this sports-driven momentum that Ahmedabad is tapping into by emerging as India’s pickleball capital, as the sport spreads to other cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. This fast-paced and inclusive sport is ticking all the right boxes. The fact that it is easy to learn makes it ideal for beginners.
While Delhi-NCR has 10-15 pickleball courts, Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar boast over 500, said Sharma, recalling how it all started with the conversion of “one tennis court into four pickleball courts two years ago”. Ahmedabad is also home to Bainbridge, one of the city’s grandest pickleball venues.
“There are no clubs here, and it’s a dry state—you need something to keep people engaged. Sports have become a strong pillar in recent years, but most are highly skill-based and technical,” said Aalap Sharma, who won Gujarat’s maiden pickleball gold medal at the first National Pickleball Championship held in 2022 in Ahmedabad, organised in collaboration with the Indian Pickleball Association. He won a gold in the men’s singles (40+) category.
“Pickleball gives you freedom. It’s easy—you just have to hit the ball. And trust me, one game is enough to get hooked,” said Sharma, who has been associated with the sport since before it became popular.
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How pickleball is played
Pickleball courts resemble tennis ones but differ in terms of size, colour, and markings. A standard pickleball court, typically blue and brown with white boundary marks, is 20 feet wide and 44 feet long – roughly the size of a badminton court. The net stands 36 inches at the posts and tapers to 34 inches at the centre, making it lower than a tennis net.
Unlike tennis, which has service boxes, singles sidelines, and a no-volley zone for serves, pickleball features a 7-foot “kitchen” (no-volley zone) near the net. This area prevents players from spiking the ball too close to the net. The courts are brightly lit to ensure clear visibility of the ball, which is lightweight and typically made of durable plastic.
There are no clubs here, and it’s a dry state—you need something to keep people engaged. Sports have become a strong pillar in recent years, but most are highly skill-based and technical – Aalap Sharma, Secretary, Gujarat State Pickleball Association
The ball features a unique design with small holes, allowing it to bounce less than a tennis ball while maintaining a controlled flight path.
Children, families, and young people convene in Ahmedabad’s brightly lit pickleball courts every night, shouting and cheering against the tik-tok of thick paddles hitting perforated balls. The air fills with excited chatter in Gujarati and English as players glide swiftly on the arena, their sneakers scuffing and squeaking against the rough surface.
At the heart of this pickleball movement are the Sindhu Bhavan and Shilaj areas. Two of Ahmedabad’s most upscale neighborhoods, they are now home to over 20 pickleball venues. Among them is Bainbridge, named after pickleball’s birthplace in the United States. One of the biggest in India, the pickleball complex houses 20 state-of-the-art courts.
Ankit Mangal and his three friends started playing pickleball just for fun. But one day two years ago, in the middle of a game, a casual conversation about the sport’s future took an interesting turn.
“Our idea was simple—build a world-class facility that could even host international tournaments,” said Mangal, now the owner of Bainbridge.
The 40-year-old furniture businessman is a man of many talents, producing music and playing multiple sports including tennis, basketball, and badminton.
Pickleball gives you freedom. It’s easy—you just have to hit the ball. And trust me, one game is enough to get hooked – Aalap Sharma, Secretary, Gujarat State Pickleball Association
Unlike most venues that stick to the basics of providing court, paddle and ball, Bainbridge offers a complete experience spread across 1,40,000-square-feet. Costing Rs 800 per hour per court, it has dedicated shower areas, changing rooms, restrooms, and a 20,000-square-foot cafeteria. Its 20 courts span 80,000 square feet, designed with asphalt instead of traditional cement that is harder on the joints—a strategic choice for better playability, and for preventing injuries.
For pickleball proponents like Mangal, the sport isn’t a “money-making venture.”
“We already have our businesses for that. The goal is to make Bainbridge India’s go-to pickleball venue,” he said. Something as iconic as the Wankhede stadium for cricket in Mumbai, Birsa Munda stadium in Rourkela for hockey, or the Pullela Gopichand Academy for badminton in Hyderabad.
The standard investment for a four-court pickleball venue is Rs 12 to 15 lakh, said Aalap Sharma. “The return on investment will be faster if there are at least eight to 10 courts, and fixed expenses will only marginally increase,” he added.
When Sharma and his team initially reached out to business owners to invest in pickleball infrastructure, they faced significant pushback. “Why would anyone want to play this sport?” was a common refrain. That’s when he realised he had to do something different to make it more appealing.
“We knew pickleball alone wouldn’t pick up. By the end of 2022, we noticed a growing popularity of cafe culture. That’s when we thought it could be a wonderful medium to attract people,” he said, recalling his proposal to introduce cafeterias at and near pickleball venues.
“We’re Marwadis. Feeding people is in our DNA,” said Mangal, laughing.
Arjun Deya, 26, runs The Foodie Cafe, a cozy spot conveniently located next to a pickleball venue with eight courts.
The office crowd thins by 7 pm, and business picks up post 9 pm – with coffee, Red Bull, sandwiches, fries, and juices in high demand.
“Each court, consisting of four players, generates a minimum bill of Rs 800 per hour, which can go up to Rs 2,000 depending on the group size,” said Deya.
Having run the cafe for over six-seven months, he’s accustomed to the hustle. While he shuts shop around 12-12:30 am, “People play till 4 am, especially on the weekends.”
The success of his cafe + court plan pushed Sharma to think bigger. He reached out to builders, urging them to replace open-badminton courts in their residential blueprints with pickleball courts.
“It required no extra money, no extra space. So some builders followed our lead.”
Sharma’s pragmatic strategies made it easier to pitch the pickleball dream to investors.
“It’s very simple for Gujaratis. Show them that investing Rs 1 will fetch them Rs 1.10, and they’ll get on board without overthinking. Rest, they know exactly how to turn that 10 paise profit into Rs 100 within months.”
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Relationships, networking & more
For young Ahmedabad residents, night-time Pickleball presents a rare opportunity to socialise – a gateway to friendships, professional connections, and even romance.
Twenty-eight-year-old Rachit met his 23-year-old girlfriend Dharna on a pickleball WhatsApp group. Dharna was looking for someone to play with when Rachit showed up.
“I happened to check my phone at 9:30 pm, saw someone looking for a 10 pm match nearby, and decided to go,” he recalled.
That game soon turned into a daily ritual. And the conversations moved beyond pickleball to include work gossip, favourite colours and eventually, a proposal.
Pickleball, however, played more than just cupid for Rachit. Through it, he expanded his professional network to meet Hiten, a video editor, and Arjun, who runs a digital marketing space in the city.
“We definitely ruin Rachit and Dharna’s dates sometimes. I’m pretty sure Dharna wants to kill us at times. But she’s gotten used to it by now,” Arjun laughed.
The young entrepreneur is certain that with a few more matches, he’ll make Rachit take the modern approach toward marketing his business.
“Rachit runs a textile business, and during our last few sessions, I’ve been trying to convince him how digital marketing could help grow it,” said Arjun.
Without pickleball, Rachit – who operates his company surrounded by retailers and garment manufacturers – would never have had the opportunity to meet a digital marketer like Arjun.
“Digital marketing is something I had heard about but, Arjun for sure, has given me a deeper insight into this domain,” the 28-year-old said.
Pickleball brings together entrepreneurs, retirees, and young professionals, facilitating connections that transcend age and careers. The casual, social nature of the sport makes it easier to strike up conversations, while the shared experience of playing fosters collaboration.
Corporate firms are also turning to pickleball for team-building and bonding exercises. Arjun, who worked at a content creation firm earlier, was introduced to the sport by his former employer.
“That’s the only good thing the corporate world ever gave me: Pickleball.”
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Churning players
Radhika Mittal calls out to her grandfather in Gujarati from across the net: “Dada, arama karo! Utavala nahim (Grandpa, take it easy! No rush).” But the old man has other plans—he smashes the plastic ball with full force, catching the 23-year-old off-guard and leaving her on the losing side.
Radhika Mittal visits the pickleball court in Shilaj at 10 pm daily. She’s gone all in—securing a year-long membership not just for herself but also for her siblings and grandfather.
Born and raised in Ahmedabad, Mittal saw pickleball arriving “just at the right time.”
“Getting drugs had become ridiculously easy. The youth here have disposable income, but Ahmedabad doesn’t really offer many ways to spend it—so a lot of them started drifting toward drugs and alcohol,” said Mittal, adding that pickleball helped change things for the better.
This young architect, however, has no aspirations of building a sporting career with pickleball. It is simply a fun way to stay fit, a great alternative to the traditional gym.
“And, of course, it’s the perfect excuse to take my grandfather out for a stroll,” she added with a smile.
But the city is churning players who have proved their mettle internationally, said Aalap Sharma. There is no official global body or database that tracks and ranks pickleball players, but Sharma has many examples to give: Dhiren Patel clinched gold in the Men’s Singles 5.0 pro 40+ category at the US Open in 2024, while Veer Shah is proving his mettle in the U-14 division. Dev Shah, a top player in Asia, clinched the U-18 Boys’ Doubles title recently with Purvansh Patel as his partner.
Rakshikha Ravi bagged gold at the Peru Pickleball World Cup 2024, in the Open Mixed Doubles 5.0 category. Suryaveer Singh Bhullar, President of both GSPA and IPA, is currently the top-ranked player in the 50+ Men’s Doubles category in India, said Sharma.
All this success unfolded in just the last four to five years.
Pickleball only made its way to Ahmedabad in 2020, thanks to the efforts of Pawan Patel, a tennis academy owner who converted one of his courts into a pickleball arena.
To introduce the game to the Gujarati community, he turned to Aalap Sharma and hosted a small tournament in March 2020.
However, Pawan moved to the US after the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving behind his pickleball court and an opportunity for the sport to grow.
That’s when coach Dhiren Patel stepped in and took charge, ensuring that the momentum continued.
Since then, pickleball has seen exponential growth in Ahmedabad, said Sharma, its simplicity playing a huge role in its popularity.
But there is a long way to go.
After businessmen and builders, Sharma is now chasing the state government with a stack of files.
“Pickleball in schools’ sports curriculum is the next goal.”
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)