The seventh season of Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) gets underway on July 9 at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Goa, with seven teams set to battle for the title over the next two weeks.
The league stage will see each team face every other side once before the top four progress to the semifinals on July 24 and 25. The championship match is scheduled for July 26.
While international stars have traditionally drawn attention in the franchise league, this year’s player auction highlighted the growing value of Indian talent, with franchises investing heavily in homegrown players.
Leading that list is Diya Chitale of PBG Pune Jaguars, who became the highest-valued Indian player in the auction for the second consecutive season. Starting with a base price of 12,00,000 tokens, her value soared to 37,40,000 tokens. Chitale has enjoyed a breakthrough year, forming a history-making mixed doubles partnership with Manush Shah to become the first Indian pair to qualify for the prestigious WTT Finals. Ranked World No. 6 in mixed doubles, she also boasts an impressive UTT record, winning eight of her 12 women’s singles matches across the past two editions.
Close behind was Manush Shah, signed by U Mumba TT for 37,20,000 tokens. Shah has enjoyed a standout campaign on the WTT circuit and, alongside Chitale, qualified for the WTT Finals in mixed doubles. He is also ranked World No. 5 in men’s doubles with Manav Thakkar. In UTT, Shah has won nine of his 11 doubles matches, including a flawless 6-0 record in Season 5.
Among the emerging names is Syndrela Das, who experienced a dramatic turnaround after going unsold in the previous auction. Picked by Dempo Goa Challengers for 17,00,000 tokens, the teenager has earned selection for India’s squad at the World Team Table Tennis Championships London 2026 and the upcoming Asian Games.
Payas Jain, representing Ahmedabad APL Pipers, enters the season in strong form after winning two gold medals and a silver at the WTT Feeder Vadodara. The former junior World No. 1 also secured multiple international top-four finishes, climbed to a career-high world ranking of 104 and earned a place in India’s Asian Games squad.
Completing the list is Divyanshi Bhowmick of Dabang Delhi T.T.C. The 15-year-old became the youngest player ever signed by a UTT franchise and recorded the biggest jump in auction value, rising 246.6 per cent above her base price. She also became the first Indian in 36 years to win the Under-15 girls’ singles gold at the 2025 Asian Junior Championships and currently holds the World No. 1 ranking in Under-17 girls’ doubles alongside Syndrela Das.
With Indian players commanding record bids and carrying impressive international credentials, Season 7 promises to showcase the country’s next generation of table tennis stars.
