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UTT Season 7 auction in Goa spotlights rising Indian table tennis stars, with Diya Chitale, Manush Shah and teen prodigy Divyanshi Bhowmick leading bids.
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 – You Are The One
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.
Despite still being in her teens, Syndrela has emerged as one of India’s brightest young women’s players. Her consistent performances against senior opponents have earned her a place in India’s main team for the 2026 World Team Table Tennis Championships in London, as well as the upcoming 2026 Asian Games.
Dempo Goa Challengers battled hard for Syndrela’s signature, driving her auction value up by 142.8% to bag the young talent. She will lead the Indian women’s line-up for Goa alongside their experienced international heavyweights.
4. Payas Jain- Ahmedabad APL Pipers
Base Price: 7,00,000 Tokens | Winning bid: 16,80,000 Tokens
Former junior world No. 1 Payas Jain continues to live up to expectations. He opened the season by winning two gold medals and a silver at the WTT Feeder Vadodara, before following it up with a string of top-four finishes on the international circuit.
Jain’s consistent performances propelled him to a career-best world ranking of No. 104 and earned him a place in India’s team for the 2026 Asian Games. That growing stature was reflected at the UTT auction as well, where he was snapped up for 140% above his base price.
Payas has enjoyed a stellar run on the domestic circuit as well, playing a pivotal role in his team’s gold medal win at the 2025 Senior National Championships while clinching the men’s singles titles at the National Ranking Table Tennis Championships in Ranchi and Panchkula.
All set to represent Ahmedabad APL Pipers in his third UTT season, Payas will feature alongside Indian stalwart Manika Batra.
5. Divyanshi Bhowmick – Dabang Delhi TTC
Base Price: 3,00,000 Tokens | Winning bid: 10,40,000 Tokens
Divyanshi Bhowmick may be preparing for her maiden UTT season, but she has already grabbed the spotlight. The 15-year-old became the youngest paddler ever to be signed by a team and recorded the biggest jump in auction value, with her final bid soaring 246.6% above her base price.
Teams were drawn to Divyanshi’s brilliant rise after she scripted history by winning the U15 girls’ singles gold at the 2025 Asian Junior Championships, becoming the first Indian to achieve the feat in 36 years.
Divyanshi further enhanced her reputation by clinching a bronze medal at the World Youth Championships.
Divyanshi also holds the World No. 1 ranking in U17 girls’ doubles alongside Syndrela Das.
Divyanshi further underlined her potential by claiming her maiden senior international title at the WTT Feeder Prishtina 2026. Recognising her rapid rise, Dabang Delhi TTC moved to bag one of India’s brightest young table tennis prospects.
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