IPL-style league & pickleball net redefine NoBo recreation

MUMBAI: The pearly gates of suburban Mumbai's housing societies are burnishing the traditional idea of social recreation. Residents of posh complexes in Malad, Borivli, Mulund and Powai are no longer simply filling Holi balloons at the community tap or playing tambola to win dinner sets during Diwali.

Around 2024, a cluster of IPL-style cricket league tournaments was launched in the condominiums of South Mumbai, mainly the Mahalaxmi-Lower Parel-Worli belt. Two years on, its wings have gained span towards NoBo or North Mumbai. Pickleball and padel are new fads too.

In a city islanded by indifference, where neighbours seldom know who lives next door, these matches smoothen the pitch for community bonding. IPL imitations have player auctions, sponsorships and enviable prize money. In a single flourish, a batter can win Rs 5,000-10,000 if he strikes a sponsor's banner.

On April 25-26, a BMC ground near Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Borivli (E) saw jerseys labelled Tigers, Panthers, Angels and Titan Tuskers vie for the underarm Raheja Green League 2026. Sport was serious but the atmosphere was festive. The venue was bedecked with stalls and splayed with sponsors' banners.

Matches were gender inclusive. Raheja Estate Green Team president Dr Parag Sanghvi and secretary Sanjay Panchal said the event fosters bonding. Winners were happy that the prize money was "decent".

A NoBo housing society, whose members do not wish to identify it in public, has cultivated a professional sporting culture. A resident said, "Ours is an 18-month-old society with 1,500 families, and the scale of recreation activity is incredible. Our badminton and table tennis carnival is so popular that our website crashed as 500 entries flooded in within 10 minutes. My family used four cellphones to ensure we got slots!"

But it is pickleball, which combines badminton, tennis and ping pong, that has captured their fancy. "Pickleball has turned into something of an Olympic sport here. The tournament is over but residents still play," said the member.

The eastern suburbs, particularly Mulund, are looking on with favour too. In the high-rise cluster of Oberoi Eternia, the Oberoi Premier League (OPL) has become a social glue. Architect Paras Mehta describes it as part sport, part carnival. "Everyone wants a piece of it," he says, pointing out that even local shopkeepers participate. Every time a batsman's shot hits a banner, it triggers reward - goodies or discount coupons from the sponsor store. "High rises foster anonymity. But thanks to OPL, everyone knows everyone," Mehta says.

Along Mulund's Balrajeshwar Mandir Road, Bhavin Parmar of Tirumala Habitats says their mini IPL is complete with player auctions, sponsors and prize money. Each team is named after a flat-owner sponsor, like Thakkar Brothers. Sponsors get recognition while prize money goes only to players. This year, a private university with an office in Mulund sponsored team jerseys.

Powai has found its mojo in the Rotary Club cricket circuit. Franchises operate within budgets, bids are strategic and player pools are discussed seriously. Champion cricketer Amit Shah who received a large cash envelope upon his selection said, "To get this far, I have dedicated every morning and weekend to training. I didn't even skip a session on my anniversary." The IPL template is mirrored in nascent sports like pickleball and padel. Darshini Shah, who plays both formats, said, "Players are still being identified before teams are set up, and then bidding follows."

Over in Dindoshi, a housing society decorates its Navratri venue using its cultural funds. Donations are collected for prasad, which is actually a buffet dinner, and a special menu for each of the nine days. Donors' names are displayed on large flex boards.

Sujata Sriram, professor at the School of Human Ecology, TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), said, "A cricket league or festive gathering brings residents closer. Late night practice sessions and training instill familiarity. Conversations build trust, and benefit families with children and senior citizens." Her own complex at Crescent Bay hosts cricket tournaments and runs a book club.

(Inputs by Nauzer Bharucha, Hemali Chhapia, Swati Deshpande, Rebecca Samervel and Somit Sen)