PBG Bengaluru Smashers will look to consolidate their position in the race to the playoffs when they take on the table toppers Ahmedabad SG Pipers in the IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis 2024 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium on Saturday.

The contest between PBG Bengaluru Smashers and Ahmedabad SG Pipers has plenty of potential mouth-watering clashes on offer, with a possible face-off between two of the world’s highest-ranked players in the competition — Manika Batra (world no. 25) and Bernadette Szocs (world no. 13).

The weekend’s double header action will continue later in the evening with the defending champions Athlead Goa Challengers trying to get back inside the top four when they meet the hosts Chennai Lions.

The franchise-based league is promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI). All the thrilling ties are being aired on Sports18 Khel on TV and streaming live on JioCinema in India and Facebook Live outside of India. Tickets are available online through BookMyShow and offline at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium box office near Gate No. 1.

Currently placed at the third spot in the table, PBG Bengaluru Smashers have won nine matches so far and accumulated 32 points from their three ties. On the other hand, Ahmedabad SG Pipers are charging toward the playoffs with 24 points in their kitty from three ties. Meanwhile, Athlead Goa Challengers are also on course for a playoff berth with 21 points from three ties, and a win against Chennai Lions could propel them into the top four.

PBG Bengaluru Smashers’ clash with Ahmedabad SG Pipers will also potentially pit the dominant Alvaro Robles against France’s Lilian Bardet, while Jeet Chandra's bout with Manush Shah will be one for table-tennis fans to look out for.

Later in the day, Chennai Lions will be banking on the experience of the legendary Achanta Sharath Kamal to get the side’s campaign back on track in his potential match-up with Harmeet Desai. Meanwhile, Athlead Goa Challengers’ Yangzi Liu will be looking to bounce back from her first loss of the IndianOil UTT in a likely battle against Sakura Mori.

The tie between PBG Bengaluru Smashers and Ahmedabad SG Pipers will take place at 17:00. Meanwhile, Chennai Lions’ clash with Athlead Goa Challengers will commence after 19:30.

Squads

PBG Bengaluru Smashers vs Ahmedabad SG Pipers
PBG Bengaluru Smashers: Manika Batra, Alvaro Robles (Spain), Lily Zhang (USA), Jeet Chandra, Taneesha Kotecha, Amalraj Anthony
Ahmedabad SG Pipers: Manush Shah, Bernadette Szocs (Romania), Lilian Bardet (France), Reeth Tennison, Krittwika Sinha Roy, Jash Modi

Chennai Lions vs Athlead Goa Challengers
Chennai Lions: Achanta Sharath Kamal, Sakura Mori (Japan), Jules Rolland (France), Poymantee Baisya, Mouma Das, Abhinandh PB
Athlead Goa Challengers: Harmeet Desai, Yangzi Liu (Australia), Yashaswini Ghorpade, Sudhanshu Grover, Sayali Wani, Mihai Bobocica (Italy)