Smash Squad players pose for a photograph after winning the inaugural LawStrings Pickleball League – Lawyer’s Edition at REPPP, Mehruli, South Delhi. Photo: Special Arrangement
New Delhi: Smash Squad, a franchise owned by Senior Advocate Sonia Mathur, clinched the inaugural LawStrings Pickleball Premier League – Lawyer’s Edition, held here at Rackonnect Exclusive Padel Pickle Park (REPPP), Mehrauli, on Sunday. The league is recognised by the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA).
Smash Squad, led by Nachiketa Vajpayee and comprising Sparsh Duggal, Rishabh Rela, Pallavi Kumar, Sanjivani Pattjoshi, and Angad Baxi, prevailed against Legal Pickle of Advocate Shrey Sharawat in the final to grab the Gold Cup in the eight-team tournament.
"It is one of the greatest feelings to be crowned as champions, while being undefeated during the entire tournament," Advocate Vajpayee, the captain of Smash Squad, told Pickleball Now.
The Silver Cup went to Legal Pickle, mentored by Advocate Shrey Sharawat, while Senior Advocate Haripriya Padmanabhan's Net-workers took home the Bronze Cup.
In the final rankings, Lex Saviours of Advocate Praveen Kumar secured fourth place, followed by Amicus Aces of Senior Advocate Guru Krishnakumar in fifth. Supreme Strikers, led by Senior Advocate Rupesh Kumar, finished sixth, while Pickle Pleaders and Sood’s Smashers—helmed by Senior Advocates Dr. S. Muralidhar and Vivek Sood respectively—rounded off the table in seventh and eighth positions.
The event marked a vibrant confluence of pickleball and law, drawing participation from seasoned legal professionals from across India showcasing their skills with the paddle on the pickleball court. The tournament celebrated camaraderie, strategy, and a shared passion for the game in a first-of-its-kind pickleball league for lawyers.
The league is a brainchild of Shubham Malhotra, the founder of LawStrings Management, a business development consultancy for the global legal industry.
The league's successful debut laid bare the soaring popularity of pickleball among professionals, while also demonstrating its rising appeal in India’s national capital.
As the tournament comes to a close, there is a growing demand from the legal community to hold the second edition in the cooler climes. Responding to the plea, Malhotra said, "LawStrings Pickleball League was an unplanned blessing. After seeing such a huge response, and love from the legal fraternity we have already started planning about conducting Season 2 soon. I promise, it will be even bigger."
Final Ranking
Rank 1: Smash Squad by Senior Advocate Sonia Mathur
Rank 2: Legal Pickle by Advocate Shrey Sharawat
Rank 3: Net-workers by Senior Advocate Haripriya Padmanabhan
Rank 4: Lex Saviours by Advocate Praveen Kumar
Rank 5: Amicus Aces by Senior Advocate Guru Krishnakumar
Rank 6: Supreme Strikers by Senior Advocate Rupesh Kumar
Rank 7: Pickle Pleaders by Senior Advocate Dr. S. Muralidhar
Rank 8: Sood’s Smashers by Senior Advocate Vivek Sood
