PicklePulse 2025: Vishal Laungani, at 27, wears many hats: those of a telecom engineering graduate, coach, entrepreneur, and now the proud winner of both singles and doubles titles at PicklePulse 2025. Laungani, who also runs his own pickleball store, stamped his dominance at the PWR 50 event in Thane by clinching two titles in a single tournament, a feat that underlined his consistency and mental toughness.
Asked about the achievement, he kept it simple: “Feels good.”
For Laungani, preparation came naturally. “That’s my home court, I coach over there,” he told Pickleball Now, pointing to the familiarity of training and teaching at the same venue where he competed.
In the men’s singles final, he outclassed his close friend Dhanvin Bhole. “Dhanvin is a good friend. We’ve seen him play, and it was about who can be more consistent and stronger mentally. Mentally, I’m always strong, and I think that helped me win the match,” Laungani said.
Reflecting on the hard work behind his triumph, he added, “It’s about sacrificing on your sleep. You have to be there at least four days a week in the morning. It’s not just you coming on the match day and winning. It’s about all the sacrifices that you put in before the event and that eventually helps you win.”
His doubles title alongside Craig Correa was another proud moment. “We’ve played before, and I think unless you practise with your partner, it’s difficult to win. Arik is my fixed partner, but he was in Hyderabad, so Craig agreed to team up. The partnership worked well. It was Craig who took charge and I was helping him. So yeah, it was Craig who got us the gold.”
Despite the success, Laungani emphasises discipline above all. “That is all practice. You have to be consistent. You have to be on the good hustling and that is how you eventually stabilise with.”
Looking beyond his own victories, the 27-year-old is vocal about the need for accessibility in the sport. “More coaches should come in, and it should be more affordable so that more people can play. Today, pickleball is still a rich man’s sport. Not everybody can afford to play. If the government builds public courts like they have cricket grounds or tennis courts in the US, then the sport will truly grow.”
From engineering studies to managing a pickleball store and now lifting two trophies at PicklePulse, Vishal Laungani’s story is proof that India’s pickleball growth is being fuelled by players willing to sacrifice, adapt, and lead from the front.