But today the racket sport that his seven-year-old son is focusing on is not tennis. This is the game that Vishnu himself has been actively promoting and playing, a game that has become a nationwide fever over the past few years: pickleball.
“Right before we go to school, he’ll say, ‘Come down, let’s play pickleball,’ and we just go down and play,” Vishnu told Hindustan Times. What they emphasized was not only their child’s enthusiasm, but also the accessibility of the sport – something that tennis had never really offered.
A few years ago, when the pickleball craze was starting to take shape globally, a video went viral on social media: two men casually playing pickleball inside an airport lounge. Shortly thereafter, New York’s JFK Airport launched a pop-up pickleball court within its terminal. Over the next few years, airports around the world followed suit and set up makeshift courts to provide relief to stranded passengers during flight delays.
Vishnu believes that this convenience, the ability to set up a court almost anywhere, makes pickleball the cricket equivalent of a racket sport in India. Easy to learn, simple in design, and playable by all age groups, it has the “gully cricket” factor that no other racket sport can match.
“The first thing that impressed me was how easy it is to get started,” the 38-year-old said. “I’ve been playing tennis professionally for 22-23 years, and for someone like my mom, for example, tennis has always been difficult to learn because the learning time is so long. But pickleball is so easy – people can start playing almost immediately. With so much of our time now spent on screens, pickleball provides an opportunity for people to get outside, be active, and play a sport without any friction. That’s what attracted me to it. I want to help more and more people by helping them “Going out and playing will always be my main goal.”
“Even with cricket, one of the easier parts is that there is a lot less friction to start playing. At some point or the other, everyone has played street cricket. We used to play with pads and paper balls in school, even in classrooms. I think a similar thing is happening with pickleball.”
Vishnu has been active in tennis throughout, and is also set to compete in the annual Tennis Premier League (TPL) in Ahmedabad next month. But along with his ongoing tennis career, the veteran player has taken on much bigger responsibilities in pickleball. Since taking up the game a few years ago, he has not only involved himself in it but has also stepped into administrative roles, giving him a deep understanding of its landscape and prospects in India.
“Tennis is something I’ve played all my life, but for the last two years I’ve been actively involved in the pickleball scene, especially within my state. I also head the Telangana Pickleball Association and have been a part of the Hyderabad Pickleball League, which has created a lot of buzz in our community. We have about a thousand people coming every Friday when the league happens. We also fielded the largest contingent ever at the IPA Nationals earlier this month.
“I have been very actively involved and stay in touch with almost the entire pickleball community, which mainly consists of former tennis, badminton or table tennis players. So the interactions have been very easy and natural. Of course, it is a bit challenging to manage everything at once, but I am very excited about this opportunity and the value I can bring to the game,” he said.
With such deep involvement, Vishnu also has a clear idea of the direction pickleball is going in India, and he thinks this phenomenon is even bigger than what he has seen in America.
“The potential for pickleball in the country right now is huge. I think it’s once in a generation that you see a sport exploding like this. The growth path we are seeing in India actually exceeds the growth path we have seen in the US or Vietnam, where the sport is already doing well. The potential is certainly huge, and the way it is growing, it could become a very close contender to cricket – although only time will tell if it reaches that level Or not.
“It is a proud moment for me to get the government approval for All India Pickleball Association (AIPA) as the official pickleball association and to lead the Telangana chapter. I want to use all my experience as a professional tennis player to strengthen the administration, support players in the state and help them become professionals. Along with this, we have very ambitious grassroots targets – for example, 10,000 students in 2026 “It’s ambitious, but we have a strong team working on it,” he said.
Very few people in India dare to compare the caliber of any sport and its unmatched pomp and show with cricket. But having worked both as a player and in an administrative role, Vishnu does so with great confidence, arguing that pickleball’s “entertainment quotient” gives it cricket-like appeal – and, over time, the potential to reach unprecedented popularity.
“Another similarity with cricket is the level of entertainment. When people watch a cricket match or league, they are completely entertained, not just by the game but by everything that happens around it. Spectators don’t have to sit still or remain quiet – they can enjoy the action and the atmosphere simultaneously. I think these similarities are helping pickleball see a rise in both viewership and participation.”
What does pickleball need now?
Any trend – even one as explosively growing as pickleball, can lose momentum if its growth is not supported by structure. Countless sports leagues have launched in India over the years, and many more are in the pipeline. But long-term development requires organization, consistency and a clear path for players. In the case of pickleball, this responsibility rests with the All India Pickleball Association (AIPA), the national governing body established in 2008, which now works closely with state units to streamline the sport.
Vishnu believes that although participation is skyrocketing, the next phase of growth depends on building a solid, integrated system.
“Look, right now, as I mentioned, there is a need to bring a proper structure to the sport. We have yet to see this fully manifested in pickleball. Currently, there are many unregulated events, sometimes several events in a week, with organizers putting pressure on players to participate in their own tournaments. It is very important that federations and associations put in place a proper structure not only for the events but also for other aspects, such as standardizing surfaces and balls, officials and Training referees and ensuring tournaments are conducted fairly and equitably. The IPA is focusing very strongly on these areas.
Next week, at the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium in Delhi, Vishnu will take up the new role of head coach of the Lucknow Leopards in the inaugural Indian Pickleball League. It is the country’s first official pickleball league, and it is a historic moment for the sport, which is supported by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Sports Authority of India.
“I am very excited to be a part of a sport that is growing so rapidly in India. The Indian Pickleball League is the first official league in the country, and it is being organized on a very grand scale. I am truly honored to be a part of this historic event. Having the support of the Sports Ministry and the Sports Authority of India gives a clear direction to the sport. Along with taking pickleball to the professional level through leagues and major tournaments, a number of grassroots initiatives have also been planned. So it is “It’s a very exciting time to be in pickleball right now.”
According to Vishnu, once India and the rest of the pickleball-playing world adopt a structured approach, the sport will be ready for its next big leap: joining major multi-national events.
“Once this framework is in place, the next step will be to include it in the Asian Games. We are already seeing pickleball growing rapidly in countries like India, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. Even in China, known for its excellent table tennis and badminton players, pickleball is gaining popularity. Some of their players have incredibly fast hands – even faster than what I have seen in India. Once these countries adopt the game on a large scale, Being included in the Asian Games becomes a natural progression. And once it is included in the Asian Games, it is only a matter of time before it becomes an Olympic sport.
Is pickleball competing with other racquet sports in India?
A few months ago, The New York Times published an in-depth investigation of how pickleball has overtaken thousands of tennis courts across America. By analyzing nearly 100,000 aerial photographs, the study found that approximately 26,000 outdoor pickleball courts were built over the past seven years, many at the expense of former tennis facilities. Reports state that over 8,000 tennis courts were converted for pickleball use.
From his unique perspective – active in both sports as a player and administrator – Vishnu did not deny that a similar trend was visible in India.
“There are no two ways about it – pickleball is taking some of the allure from tennis and badminton, primarily because the entry barrier is much lower. On a single tennis court, you can set up four pickleball courts. I have seen many tennis courts converted, and many pickleball competitions are held on tennis courts with temporary lines. Even our own national championship was held in a tennis facility that was converted for pickleball,” he said.
But Vishnu was quick to clarify that this change does not necessarily have to be at the expense of tennis.
He points out that pickleball has generated its own wave of mass participation, drawing in people who once shied away from the sport — and providing them with a new re-entry point rather than redirecting existing tennis or badminton players.
“Having said that, I don’t see a decline in participation or progression in tennis or badminton. Instead, a new group of players is entering pickleball. Many former tennis players now compete in the 30-plus or 40-plus categories, especially in South India. Friends who left tennis years ago due to finances or education have come back through pickleball. And former junior tennis players – such as Hyderabad’s Armand Bhatia and Sameer Verma – now among the best pickleball players in the country.”
According to Vishnu, this influx strengthens India’s racquet-sport ecosystem but poses no threat.
“Instead of taking away tennis, badminton or table tennis, pickleball is creating a new entry point. For a young sporting nation like ours, this is very positive. With India set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and bid for the Olympics, I think we are going to mature into a strong global sporting nation.”
When asked if young racquet-sport athletes are actively switching to pickleball, Vishnu agreed and said the change is logical.
“This change is happening because tennis, badminton and table tennis players already have an advantage when they come to pickleball. They see a good opportunity here.”
He said this opportunity is further enhanced by the structure of the new Indian Pickleball League.
“Unlike some tennis leagues like the Tennis Premier League, which feature many foreign players, the Indian Pickleball League focuses a lot on Indian talent. There are only two foreigners and four Indian players in each team. I think it’s a great concept – it gives our players a platform to showcase their skills, test themselves on the big stage and grow. This will definitely help them move forward.”
