India, Nov. 24 -- T he inaugural Indian Pickleball League kicked off its first-ever Players' Draft with a global sweep, as Vietnam's World No. 3 Quang Duong and USA's Megan Fudge became the most coveted international picks of the season. Positioning the league as India's next major sporting movement, Vineet Jain, Managing Director, The Times Group, called the draft "a special moment," adding that pickleball is "set to become the biggest sport after cricket." Quang was drafted by the Mumbai Smashers, while Megan went to the Hyderabad Royals. Among Indian players, the Lucknow Leopards secured top domestic star Aditya Ruhela. The six teams participating this season are the Mumbai Smashers, Hyderabad Royals, Chennai Super Warriors, Capital Warriors Gurgaon, Bengaluru Blasters and Lucknow Leopards. Selections at the Players' Draft were made across three pools: the Super Stars Pro International category, the Super Stars Pro Indian category and the Rising Stars group, which showcased more than 20 of India's most promising young athletes. Launched by The Times Group and recognised as India's only national league sanctioned by the Indian Pickleball Association, the tournament will run from December 1 to 7 at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall in New Delhi. HTC...