Hyderabad: The Centre Court Pickleball League (CCPL) begins its second Hyderabad season on Sunday, October 18, with eight franchises competing across seven league match days before the playoffs on December 5 and the championship final on December 12.
Chargers will host the opening day, with matches running across two courts. Defending champions Mavericks face Titans on Centre Court at 4 PM, while Dasos Dynamos take on The Raptors on the second court. At 8 PM, Chargers meet Starry Smashers on Centre Court, alongside All Stars versus Keerthi Warriors.
Eight Captains Set to Lead Season 2
The eight franchises enter the new season under the leadership of a mix of returning players and pre-auction signings.
Defending champions Mavericks will be captained by Sreekar Mothukuri, with Sameer Varma leading All Stars and Nikhil Tummalapalli captaining Titans. Nikit M Reddy will lead Chargers, Karunesh Reddy The Raptors, Vivek Reddy Priyadarshini Dasos Dynamos, Abhaya Vemuri Starry Smashers and Gopinath Reddy Keerthi Warriors.
The opening weekend will be the first competitive test for squads reshaped at September’s Player Auction in Phuket. More than 200 players registered for Season 2, with 73 bought at auction and seven pre-auction signings completing an 80-player field comprising 53 men and 27 women.
Opening day will also feature a live performance by drummer and percussionist Aamir Ismail, formerly with Mumbai progressive-fusion band Paradigm Shift. The Sunday line-up will bring Hyderabad favourites Roch, Melt, Alter Ego and The Project Patty to Terminus CCPL, alongside Johnnie Walker Non-Alcoholic Lemonade and Loca Loka Hot Sauce, in the line-up, rounding out the league’s opening-day experience beyond the courts.
Each franchise’s purse doubled from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh this season. Teams were also able to sign one player before the auction for ₹3 lakh, adding another strategic element to squad building.
“The larger purse gave franchises more room to build their squads, and the auction showed how differently each team approached that opportunity. Established players attracted strong bids, but teams also invested in emerging talent. The opening weekend is our first chance to see how those decisions translate on court,” said Vikrant Rao, Co-founder, Centre Court Sports and Entertainment.
Prominent Names Behind the Franchises
Since its launch, the league has attracted prominent figures from Indian sport and Telugu cinema to its franchise ownership groups.
Olympic bronze medallist Saina Nehwal joined Keerthi Warriors as co-owner, while former badminton world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth joined Nandi Chargers as an investor and partner. Actor Sushanth Anumolu became owner of All Stars, while filmmaker and actor Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam joined The Raptors as co-owner alongside Kaushik Manepalli and Divya Priyanka Reddy.
Mavericks Return to Defend Their Title
Mavericks begin their title defence after defeating All Stars 4–3 in a seventh-set tiebreaker last season. Nearly 2,000 spectators attended the Season 1 final, which also featured a halftime performance by Lucky Ali.
“Hyderabad is where we began, and Season 1 gave us a lot to build on. People came for the matches, followed particular teams and returned through the season. For Season 2, we’ve put more thought into the full match-day experience, from the competition to the music and food, so there’s a reason to spend the evening at the league,” said Yashwanth Biyyala, Co-founder, Centre Court Sports and Entertainment.
New Partners Join Terminus CCPL Hyderabad Season 2
CCPL Hyderabad has expanded its partner roster ahead of the season opener, with Balaji Jewellers and Optimus Capital joining Season 2 as co-sponsors.
They join Terminus as title sponsor; associate sponsors Vijaya Diagnostics, KLR Transformers and Loca Loka Hot Sauce; and co-sponsors Stupa Analytics and Johnnie Walker Non-Alcoholic Lemonade, further expanding the commercial partner line-up for the league’s second Hyderabad season.
Season Calendar and Playoff Format
Following the October 18 opener, league match days are scheduled for October 24 and 31, and November 7, 14, 21 and 28. League sessions begin at 4 PM and 8 PM, with franchises taking turns hosting match days.
On December 5, the top two teams will contest Qualifier 1, while the third- and fourth-placed teams meet in the Eliminator, both at 4 PM. The loser of Qualifier 1 will face the Eliminator winner in Qualifier 2 at 8 PM. The championship final begins at 8 PM on December 12.
Attend Terminus CCPL Hyderabad Season 2
Opening Day: Sunday, October 18, 2026
Matches: From 4 PM
Location: Centre Court Pickleball Arena, The League, Financial District
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
