India suffered a group stage exit in the 2024 Pickleball World Cup held in Lima, Peru, between October 26 and 27, 2024.
Facing eventual champions Puerto Rico in the final home game, India played impressively, finishing the game 2-2. But in the ensuing tiebreaker, India lost 8-15 and exited the tournament.
Earlier in the tournament, India faced Colombia, which ended in a 2-2 draw as well with India losing the subsequent tiebreaker 14-16.
India did manage a win in the group stage, when they defeated the Dominican republic 4-0.
In the match against Puerto Rico, the women’s doubles game kicked things off, with Rakshika Ravi and Anshi Sheth going up against Claudia Santini and Melissa Roth.
The game ended in a 15-13 victory to the Puerto Rican duo, giving them a 1-0 lead.
In the second match of the tie, a men’s doubles clash, India made it 1-1, with Himansh Mehta and Suraj Anilkumar defeating Carlos Cruz and Pedro Maldonaldo 18-16.
With the scoreline on a level at 1-1, the mixed doubles matches began, with Anshi Sheth and Suraj Anilkumar facing Luis Reyes and Natalia. The Indian pair lost 12-15.
Needing a win in the final match, India’s Himansh Mehta and Rakshikha Ravi went up against Melissa Roth and Plinio Alfaro Maldonado.
The Mehta-Ravi duo dominated proceedings, giving their opponents no chance and emerged victorious in the game, winning 15-9.
It made the tie 2-2 and what followed was the tiebreaker where India, unfortunately, failed to speak the pressure, losing 8-15 and exited the competition in the group stage.