5 Indian Paddlers Who Emerged Big Winners At The UTT Auction
5 Indian Paddlers Who Emerged Big Winners At The UTT Auction Published By, Last Updated: June 29, 2026, 15:46 IST UTT Season 7 auction in
5 Indian Paddlers Who Emerged Big Winners At The UTT Auction Published By, Last Updated: June 29, 2026, 15:46 IST UTT Season 7 auction in Goa spotlights rising Indian table tennis stars, with Diya Chitale, Manush Shah and teen prodigy Divyanshi Bhowmick leading bids. Rapid Read Manush Shah in action (Picture credit: UTT) The UTT Season 7 auction reflected where Indian table tennis stands today. With a growing contingent of paddlers making waves on the international circuit, teams were willing to dig deep into their purses to bag some of the nation’s most promising stars. This season highlighted teams’ growing preference for Indian talent over international stars. From established names to emerging paddlers making their mark on the global stage, these five Indian players saw their auction prices soar well above their base value. With UTT Season 7 all set to be held from July 9 to 26, 2026, at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Goa, here are five Indian players whose rising profiles and recent performances make them the ones to watch this season. The season will be telecast live on Star Sports Network and streamed on JioHotstar. 1. Diya Chitale – PBG Pune Jaguars Base Price: 12,00,000 Tokens | Winning bid: 37,40,000 Tokens Diya Chitale, one of India’s leading women players, saw her base price more than double with a 211.6% jump to emerge as the highest-bid Indian paddler in the auction for the second successive year. Diya has evolved from a domestic prodigy into one of India’s most sought-after senior paddlers, emerging as the highest-valued Indian at both the Season 6 and Season 7 auctions. Entering from the competitive Pool B category, Diya’s value soared after she and Manush Shah became the first Indian pair to qualify for the prestigious WTT Finals, while also climbing to World No. 6 in the mixed doubles rankings.
Across the last two UTT seasons, Diya has won eight of her 12 women’s singles matches, underlining her consistency and reliability in the league. With a proven track record, she heads into Season 7 as the undisputed centrepiece of the Pune Jaguars. 2. Manush Shah – U Mumba TT Base Price: 12,00,000 Tokens | Winning bid: 37,20,000 Tokens Manush Shah heads into UTT Season 7 as the second-highest-valued Indian player after attracting bids worth more than thrice his base price. His rise on the WTT circuit in 2025, highlighted by his becoming the first Indian to qualify for the prestigious WTT Finals alongside Chitale in mixed doubles and bagging several podium finishes, has boosted his stature. Manush’s credits are also strengthened by a World No. 5 men’s doubles ranking alongside Manav Thakkar. His rise over the past year was mirrored at the UTT auction, where his value skyrocketed by 210%. One of India’s finest doubles specialists, Manush has featured in 23 UTT matches across men’s singles and mixed doubles, excelling in the doubles format. He has won nine of his 11 doubles matches, including a flawless 6-0 record in Season 5, becoming only the third Indian player in UTT history to register the most doubles victories in a single season, underlining his immense value in the team competition. Defending champions U Mumba TT landed Manush for this season, counting on his top-tier international and the league’s records to spearhead their title defence. 3. Syndrela Das – Dempo Goa Challengers Base Price: 7,00,000 Tokens | Winning bid: 17,00,000 Tokens Syndrela’s story is a powerful comeback as she went unpicked in the Season 6 auction but saw her value double in this edition, a testament to her career growth.
The BriefWire