New Delhi [India], December 7 : Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju tried his hand at Pickleball as he attended the Indian Pickleball League (IPBL) Season 1 finals, which was played between Mumbai Smashers and Hyderabad Royals on Sunday.
Rijiju briefly took to the court, trying out a few serves and returns.
Coming to the IPBL final, Mumbai Smashers completed a remarkable turnaround, storming from sixth place to champions with a commanding 5-1 victory over Hyderabad Royals.
Hyderabad entered the final after a steady campaign, finishing second on the league table. Mumbai, in contrast, had been winless until their final league tie. What followed was a fairytale surge: a three-way Play-In success, back-to-back Grand Rally escapes, and knockout wins over Lucknow and Chennai that propelled them into the summit clash with excellent momentum.
Mumbai started the final strongly. Quang Duong, the DUPR World No. 3, dominated the opening singles match, beating Tejas Gulati 15-4 with complete control from the back of the court to the kitchen line. The win also kept Duong's unbeaten singles record in the league intact.
Duong then returned for the men's doubles with Ammol Ramchandani, and the pair edged Hyderabad's Ben Newell and Divyanshu Kataria in a tight 15-10 contest to give Mumbai a 2-0 lead.
Hyderabad looked to their star Megan Fudge to turn things around. She fell behind early but quickly found her rhythm, using her powerful forehand to roll to a 15-5 win and get Hyderabad on the board.
But Mumbai answered immediately. In the women's doubles, Allison Harris and Pearl Amalsadiwala came back from 6-8 down to win 15-10, restoring Mumbai's two-point advantage.
The title came down to the Grand Rally, and Mumbai started fast, surging to a 6-1 lead. Hyderabad fought back to 5-8, but the Smashers regained control, stretching the score to 17-11. At 21-14, Mumbai closed out the match and sealed the championship completing one of the most remarkable comeback runs of the season.
Duong and Pearl were named Players of the Tie.
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