5 Indian Paddlers Who Saw Their Value Skyrocket At UTT 7 Auction - Here's Why You Should Watch Them

The Butterfly UTT Season 7 auction was a reflection of where Indian table tennis stands today. With a growing contingent of players making waves on the international circuit, franchises were willing to dig deep into their purses to secure some of the country's most promising stars. This season saw the franchises growing interest in Indian talents over the International stars. From established performers to rising talents breaking through on the global stage, these five Indian paddlers saw their auction value soar well above their base price.

As the new season approaches, here are five Indian players whose growing stature and recent achievements make them ones to watch at the Butterfly UTT Season 7 scheduled to commence from July 9-26, 2026 at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Goa. 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 paddlers, saw her base price more than double with a 211.6% jump to emerge as the highest-bid Indian player in the auction for the second consecutive year. 

Diya has rapidly transitioned from a domestic prodigy into a dominant senior asset and was unsurprisingly the highest-valued Indian at both the season 6 and 7 auctions. Entering the auction from the highly competitive Pool B category, her stock skyrocketed thanks to her history-making partnership with Manush Shah, becoming the first-ever Indian to qualify for the prestigious WTT Finals, alongside a stellar World No. 6 ranking in mixed doubles. Over the last two editions, Diya has featured in a total of 12 women's singles matches, winning eight of them, highlighting her consistency in Butterfly UTT. Her proving records in the league, makes her the definitive centerpiece for the Pune Jaguars this season.

2. Manush Shah - U Mumba TT

Base Price: 12,00,000 Tokens | Winning bid: 37,20,000 Tokens

Manush Shah enters Butterfly UTT as the second-highest valued Indian player, pursued at more than three times his starting price. 2025 witnessed his growth graph steadily increase on the WTT circuit becoming the first-ever Indian to qualify for the prestigious WTT Finals alongside Diya Chitale in mixed doubles along with multiple podium finishes. His credits are also strengthened by World No. 5 men's doubles ranking alongside Manav Thakkar. His rise over the past year was mirrored at the Butterfly UTT auction, where his value skyrocketed by 210%.

India's doubles icon has played 23 matches across men's singles and mixed doubles in the league, with a standout doubles record. He has won 9 of his 11 doubles matches, including a perfect 6-from-6 record in Season 5, making him only the third Indian player in UTT history to register the most doubles victories in a single season, highlighting his immense value in the team format. Defending champions U Mumba TT landed him for this season, counting on his top-tier international and the league's records to spearhead their title defense.

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 Season 6 auction but saw her value comfortably double in this edition, a testimonial to her career growth.

Still in her teens, Syndrela has steadily built a reputation as one of India's most exciting young women's players. Her growing consistency against senior opposition have earned her a well-deserved main squad spot to represent Indian at the World Team Table Tennis Championships London 2026 and in the upcoming Asian Games 2026. Dempo Goa Challengers battled hard for her signature, driving her auction value up by 142.8% to secure the young talent. She'll lead the Indian women 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 justify the hype surrounding him. He kicked off the season with two gold medals and a silver at the WTT Feeder Vadodara, before backing it up with multiple top-four finishes on the international circuit. His consistent performances raised him to a career-high world ranking of 104 and earned him a place in India's Asian Games squad. The growing confidence in his abilities was also reflected at the Butterfly UTT auction, where his value surged by 140% over his base price.

Payas has been equally impressive on the domestic stage, playing a key role in securing team gold at the 2025 Senior National Championships while also capturing men's singles titles at the National Ranking Table Tennis Championships 2025 in Ranchi and Panchkula. Set to represent Ahmedabad APL Pipers in his third UTT season, Payas will feature alongside Indian stalwart Manika Batra.

5. Divyanshi Bhowmick - Dabang Delhi T.T.C.           

Base Price: 3,00,000 Tokens | Winning bid: 10,40,000 Tokens

Divyanshi Bhowmick may be entering her maiden Butterfly UTT season, but she is already making headlines. The 15-year-old became the youngest player ever to be signed by a franchise and recorded the highest value surge at the auction, with her final bid soaring 246.6% above her base price. The bidding interest was driven by her remarkable victory at the 2025 Asian Junior Championships where she won a historic U15 girls' singles gold, becoming the first Indian to do so in 36 years and followed it up with a bronze at the World Youth Championships. Divyanshi also currently holds the World No. 1 ranking in U17 girls' doubles alongside Syndrela Das. 

She further announced herself on the senior stage by winning her maiden international title at the WTT Feeder Prishtina 2026. Recognising her immense potential, Dabang Delhi TTC moved swiftly to secure one of Indian table tennis' most exciting young stars. 

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