Ultimate Table Tennis Season 7: Manav Thakkar, Manush Shah, Diya Chitale Headline Star-Studded Player Pool In The Auction

Indian players Manav Thakkar, Manush Shah, and Diya Chitale headline the Butterfly Ultimate Table Tennis Season 7 player pool. The league runs from July 9 to July 26 at Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Goa. Star Sports will broadcast, with streaming on JioHotstar.

The auction for Season 7 takes place on April 28 at Sahara Star in Mumbai. Teams will build their squads from a mix of leading Indian players, rising Indian talent, and overseas paddlers. All major names, dates, and formats are now confirmed by the organisers.

Thakkar and Shah return to the auction pool after a year away. They missed the last season due to international commitments. The pair are ranked World No. 5 in men's doubles. They stay active on the global circuit and enter the league with strong form.

Shah also partners Chitale in mixed doubles on tour. They are ranked World No. 6 in that event. They created history as the first Indians to qualify for the WTT Finals. Chitale was the most expensive pick in last season's auction.

Key retentions and franchise decisions

Dabang Delhi TTC chose to retain Sathiyan Gnanasekaran instead of Chitale. This extends his stay with the team to a record seventh straight season. Manika Batra returns after injury and has been retained by Ahmedabad APL Pipers for the new campaign.

Kolkata Thunderblades retained Ankur Bhattacharjee, while U Mumba TT kept doubles specialist Akash Pal. Dempo Goa Challengers and PBG Pune Jaguars did not use their retention option. Both, along with new team UP Prometheans, will enter the auction with a full purse.

League structure and auction format

The franchise league is promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani. It runs under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India. Teams will again use an auction system to form rosters. Every franchise has a purse of 1 crore tokens to spend.

Speaking on the player pool, UTT Co-Promoter Niraj Bajaj said: "It's exciting to see such a strong and diverse player pool for Season 7. The return of top Indian players like Manav, Manush, and Manika, combined with a competitive international field, reflects the growing depth and quality of table tennis associated with Butterfly UTT. The mix of experienced names and emerging talent will make for a highly competitive auction and an exciting season ahead."

Auction price pools and bidding rules

The auction will use a structured format with revised base prices. Players are grouped into four pools. Bidding will follow set steps to keep the process clear for all teams. The organisers have also fixed the minimum raise for each bid.

International stars and Indian prodigies

Among overseas players, Welsh paddler Anna Hursey could become the first from her country in Butterfly UTT, if selected. French player Prithika Pavade deepens the women's pool. The men's list has Adrien Rassenfosse, Eduard Ionescu, Nicholas Lum, and Youssef Abdelaziz as new entrants.

Returning foreign names include Bernadette Szocs, Quadri Aruna, Alvaro Robles, and Yangzi Liu. The Indian group features rising talents, led by Divyanshi Bhowmick. She won U15 girls' singles gold at the 2025 Asian Cadet Championships, the first Indian to do so in 36 years.

Bhowmick then added a bronze medal at the 2025 World Youth Championships. With proven stars and next-generation players across all categories, the Butterfly UTT Season 7 auction is set to focus on strategy as teams chase balanced and competitive squads.