After launching in Hyderabad and expanding to Bengaluru, CCPL returns to its home city, with Season 2 squads now set following the league’s player auction in Phuket.
Hyderabad, (Telangana) [India] September 9, 2026: Centre Court Pickleball League (CCPL) will return to Hyderabad for Season 2, following the conclusion of the CCPL Owners’ Weekend and Season 2 Player Auction, held in Phuket from September 3 to 6, 2026.
The league began in Hyderabad in 2025 as the Hyderabad Pickleball League (HPL), with eight franchise teams competing in its inaugural season. Mavericks emerged champions after defeating All Stars 4–3 in a seventh-set tiebreaker in the final. Nearly 2,000 spectators attended the finale, which also featured a halftime performance by Lucky Ali. Centre Court Sports and Entertainment subsequently expanded the format to Bengaluru under the Centre Court Pickleball League banner. The league now returns to Hyderabad for its second season.
“Hyderabad is where the league began and where we first saw the potential for a franchise-based pickleball property,” said Yashwanth Biyyala, Co-founder, Centre Court Sports and Entertainment. “We took what we learnt from Hyderabad to Bengaluru, and Season 2 gives us the opportunity to bring those learnings back to the city and build on what we started.”
Several franchises had made their first moves ahead of the Phuket auction. Sreekar Mothukuri was retained from the championship-winning Mavericks, while Sameer Varma returns to the All Stars after their runners-up finish last season. Mikhil Tummalapalli and Vivek Reddy were also retained by their respective franchises.
Karunesh Reddy, Abhaya Vemuri and Gopinath Reddy joined the Season 2 line-up as pre-auction picks. The Chargers took a different approach. With no player retention and no pre-auction pick, the franchise entered the Phuket auction with its full roster to build.
The remaining places across the Season 2 squads were decided at the CCPL Hyderabad Player Auction on September 5, with franchises bidding for the players who would complete their teams.
“The retentions and pre-auction picks already give you an indication of how different teams are approaching the season,” said Vikrant Rao, Co-founder, Centre Court Sports and Entertainment. “Some are building around players they know, while others have kept more options open. The auction is where the complete picture comes together.”
The four-day CCPL Owners’ Weekend in Phuket marked the formal start of the build-up to Season 2, bringing franchise owners together ahead of the league’s return to Hyderabad.
The weekend began with the owners competing in their own tournament at Coconut Pickleball Centre in Bang Tao, followed by the official auction briefing. The Season 2 Player Auction took place on September 5, with franchises completing their squads for the season ahead. A black-tie formal dinner and Season 2 predictions followed that evening.
With the auction complete and the Season 2 squads now set, franchises have six weeks to prepare for the return of the league on October 17.
