India’s first-ever pickleball league for lawyers kicked off with excitement on May 24, 2025, at the Rackonnect Exclusive Padel Pickle Park (REPPP) in Mehrauli, South Delhi. The LawStrings Pickleball Premier League – Lawyer’s Edition is the first of its kind in India and is officially recognized by the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA). This two-day event brings together lawyers and senior advocates from across the country to compete and enjoy the sport.
Lawyers Compete in Group Matches
The league features eight teams of legal professionals, including senior advocates. They played group-stage matches to decide which teams would reach the semifinals. In Group 1, Smash Squad, led by Senior Advocate Sonia Mathur, finished first.
Legal Pickle, led by Shrey Sharawat, came second, both advancing to the semifinals. In Group 2, Networkers, led by Senior Advocate Haripriya Padmanabhan, and Lex Saviours, led by Advocate Praveen Kumar, secured the top two spots to move forward.
The other four teams – Pickle Pleaders (Senior Advocate S. Muralidhar), Sood Smashers (Senior Advocate Vivek Sood), Amicus Ace (Senior Advocate Gurukrishna Kumar), and Supreme Strikers (Senior Advocate Rupesh Kumar) – will play for final rankings.
A New Sporting Break for Lawyers
Senior Advocate Sacchin Puri, Vice President of the Delhi High Court Bar Association, spoke to Pickleball Now about pickleball’s appeal to lawyers.
“Pickleball is now the latest inclusion in the lawyers’ community. The Supreme Court Bar Association has 12 teams for cricket. We also have table tennis, tennis and badminton. I play badminton when the league happens. But you can play these sports only if you have certain level of skills. Pickleball does not require that. Our profession is so stressful. So, when these young lawyers get back to work on Monday, they will be refreshed. They needed this break.” – (Sacchin Puri)
Justice Vidya Bhushan Gupta (Retd), the Chief Guest, praised the event, saying,
“Sport always brings people together, and it is great to see the legal community come together like this. Kudos to Shubham and his team for making it happen.” – (Vidya Bhushan Gupta)
The winners will be decided on Sunday after the final matches, marking the successful start of what could become a popular league in the legal world.
News in Brief: Pickleball League for Lawyers
India’s first pickleball league for lawyers started May 24, 2025, in South Delhi. Eight teams played group matches, with four moving to the semifinals. The event, created by Shubham Malhotra and supported by the Indian Pickleball Association, aims to help lawyers relax and bond through sport.