Jaipur Djinns join WPBL as League serves up season 2 expansion

MUMBAI: The World Pickleball League has added a fresh twist to its line-up by welcoming the Jaipur Djinns as its seventh franchise, marking the league’s first step into Rajasthan. The team has been acquired by billionaire entrepreneur Siddharth Shankar, chairman of UK-based Tails Trading and global COO at Komerz, who announced his investment on Monday.

The move adds colour, character and a brand-new fanbase to India’s first professional franchise pickleball league. It expands WPBL’s grid for Season 2 to seven teams with a 120-match calendar, an increase from 90 in its inaugural season. The second edition begins on 24 January 2026 at Mumbai’s Jio World Garden, promising 16 days of fast-paced sportainment.

WPBL kept its momentum alive through the year with its WPBL On Tour initiative, taking the sport to new cities and building a buzzing community around it. The addition of Jaipur Djinns strengthens this effort by offering sustained engagement in Rajasthan and widening the league’s reach.

World Pickleball League founder and CEO Gaurav Natekar, said the arrival of Jaipur Djinns reflects the league’s growing stature. “We are pleased to welcome Siddharth and Jaipur Djinns into the WPBL family ahead of Season 2. When global entrepreneurs and long-term investors choose to back the league, it reinforces the strength of our vision. WPBL is becoming a force to reckon with thanks to its unique sports and entertainment format. The expansion into Rajasthan shows our commitment to building a national league with international relevance and providing exposure to more players.”

Shankar, who has previously invested in the United Soccer League and Central Florida Pro Soccer in the United States, said WPBL appealed to him because it aims to create an ecosystem rather than a transactional league. “From my experience of building global distribution and market platforms, success comes from scale, participation and consistency and WPBL mirrors those principles. Jaipur has immense sports and entertainment legacy and with Jaipur Djinns we hope to build a competitive franchise with strong regional and community connect that remains commercially viable and scalable.”

The team has already appointed Lee Whitwell as head coach and finalised its player roster at last month’s draft. The Jaipur Djinns line-up features Amanda Hendry, Giang Trinh, Naveen Beasley, Ritam Chawla, Lorena Duknic, Jack Foster, Isabella Nelson and Connie Lee.