Injury-hit India look to ride on home support to reach Billie Jean King Cup playoffs

The players and venue would beryllium antithetic but India would beryllium hoping to repetition its effect from the past twelvemonth erstwhile the squad takes connected Thailand successful its opening necktie of the Billie Jean King Cup astatine the DLTA Stadium connected Tuesday.

The six-team Asia/Oceania Group I competition, to beryllium played successful a azygous round-robin format, volition beryllium the 2nd consecutive twelvemonth India is hosting the event. India, which finished 2nd down New Zealand in Pune in 2025 to beforehand to the playoffs, volition beryllium hoping to bash truthful again.

It won’t beryllium easy, however, with Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, who went unbeaten successful each her 5 matches past twelvemonth and was awarded the BJK Heart grant for her performances, retired with injury.

New Zealand, Thailand and Korea person returned this twelvemonth on with Mongolia and Indonesia with the second expected to beryllium a pugnacious hostile and the erstwhile an chartless quantity the squad skipper and erstwhile Davis Cupper Vishal Uppal is wary of.

While Shrivalli pulled retired with a backmost spasm, reserve player Vaidehee Chaudhari injured her ankle during grooming connected Thursday but Uppal insisted determination was capable extent successful the squad without revealing his squad combinations.

Zeel Desai has been called up arsenic a replacement, the 27-year-old withdrawing from the semifinals of the $15000 ITF event in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to articulation the broadside astatine the past minute.

Top-ranked Indian Vaishnavi Adkar, Sahaja Yamalappalli, Ankita Raina and Rutuja Bhosale complete the broadside with the past two, the astir experienced, expected to enarthrosis the doubles situation portion leaving the singles to the youngsters.

“I’m blessed having a occupation picking players for a necktie than 1 wherever I don’t person players, that’s a bully occupation to have, it tells you there’s depth,” Uppal said connected the eve of the competition.

India’s biggest situation volition beryllium from Indonesia, led by the highest-ranked subordinate successful the field, World No. 41 Janice Tjen, and doubles specialist Aldila Sutjiadi. New Zealand, besides remains a menace with doubles specializer Erin Routliffe in its ranks contempt the lack of Lulu Sun.

Tuesday’s matches (3 p.m. onwards): India vs. Thailand (centre court), New Zealand vs. Indonesia (court 1), Mongolia vs. Korea (court 2).