For Praathnaa Motiani and Kaveer Mehta, playing for India at the upcoming Pickleball World Cup is an opportunity that has come at a young age.
They are part of India’s U-14 squad for the tournament in Vietnam, and they are expected to join forces in the Mixed Doubles event, taking their partnership to the international stage.
Their partnership, however, is relatively new. Praathnaa and Kaveer also played together at the Indian Open in Hyderabad earlier this year. They were brought together by a common coach, and neither had a mixed doubles partner at the time. The suggestion for the tie-up also came from their coach.
‘We started playing in April at the Indian Open’
Speaking to Pickleball Now, Praathnaa said, “We started playing in April at the Indian Open. And we got in touch via our coach.”
Kaveer also has a badminton background, and adds a certain level of aggression to their partnership. Praathnaa feels that his volleys and smashes are among their strengths, and they complement her game. Meanwhile, Kaveer likes Praathnaa’s attacking style and her maturity in finishing points.
“She has a very attacking playing style. And she likes to try to finish the point, which is a very good attribute,” said Kaveer.
But they also know that they have a lot of work to do before they step onto the courts at the Pickleball World Cup. Consistency and coordination are areas they are working on during their training sessions.
“We’ve played together since April. But whenever we train, we try to make our coordination even stronger,” Praathnaa explained, which reflected the importance of understanding each other’s movements during matches.
Their communication on court also includes hand signals. The pair often use signals for situations such as deciding when to return and switching.
The World Cup will also be a new experience for both players, as they gear up to face opponents from different countries for the first time.
Their focus is on giving their best and allowing the results to follow.
“Just having the honour to play for India is just amazing,” Kaveer said.
Both Praathnaa and Kaveer predict a bright future for pickleball in India. The sport is rapidly growing, and they believe it can become a major sport in the country.
There is also a possibility for pickleball to feature at the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, and Kaveer admits that representing India at the Games would be a dream.
But for now, however, their focus is firmly on Vietnam, where they will look to build on their partnership and make their mark in Indian colours.