Century Warriors cruise past Jolly Friends as Phantom Stars continue winning momentum in Butterfly TTSL Maharashtra 2026
The intensity continued to rise at the Butterfly Table Tennis Super League, TTSL Maharashtra 2026 as Century Warriors produced one of the most dominant performances of the tournament so far, defeating Jolly Friends Sporting Club 18-9, while defending champions Phantom Stars secured their second straight victory with a composed win over NPV Smashers on Day 2 in Mumbai.
Elsewhere, Mumbai Mozartt bounced back strongly from their previous defeat to register a convincing 17-10 victory over NPV Smashers, while Ping Panthers and Bayside Spinners also continued collecting important points in closely contested ties.
Organised as an initiative by Ultimate Table Tennis, Butterfly TTSL Maharashtra has emerged as a major platform for grassroots talent development and state-level competition. The format continues to create fast-paced contests, with each tie featuring nine matches across singles, mixed doubles and men’s doubles categories, where every individual game contributes directly to the team tally. Among the standout teams on Friday, Century Warriors looked particularly sharp.
The semifinalists from last season stamped their authority early against Jolly Friends Sporting Club and never allowed the contest to drift away from their control. Veteran paddler Santosh Wakradkar laid the foundation with a commanding 3-0 victory over Gurucharan in the opening veterans’ singles match. Jolly Friends briefly found momentum through the highly consistent Raegan Albuquerque, who once again delivered impressively in the men’s singles category. Albuquerque defeated his opponent comfortably to level the tie and continue his unbeaten streak in the competition.
The young paddler has quietly established himself as one of the breakout performers of the league and remains unbeaten in all five of his men’s singles matches despite Jolly Friends managing only one win from five ties overall. His performances will particularly attract attention ahead of his expected debut later this year in Ultimate Table Tennis.
But beyond Albuquerque’s contribution, Century Warriors dominated most other categories. Naisha Rewaskar led the charge brilliantly in the junior girls’ singles, while Century’s doubles combinations across the U-13 and veterans categories secured emphatic 3-0 wins. Their superior depth and consistency across age groups eventually translated into a comprehensive 18-9 victory. The result further strengthened Century Warriors’ growing reputation as one of the strongest all-round teams in the competition.
Defending champions Phantom Stars also continued their steady start to the tournament. Facing NPV Smashers, Phantom relied heavily on their experienced core players to maintain control throughout the tie. Former national-level paddler Sanil Shetty emerged as the central figure in the victory. Shetty first registered a dominant 3-0 win over Sagar Kasture in the men’s singles before combining effectively with Shruti Amrute in the mixed doubles category. The duo comfortably secured another straight-games victory, placing Phantom Stars firmly ahead.
Veteran Onkar Jog also contributed valuable points, while Shruti Amrute continued her excellent all-round showing with another composed performance in her individual match. Their collective consistency helped the defending champions close out the tie efficiently and maintain their winning momentum in the league. Mumbai Mozartt, meanwhile, responded strongly after suffering defeat against Bayside Spinners in their previous outing.
The team looked far more organised and aggressive against NPV Smashers, particularly through their younger players. The U-17 mixed doubles pair of Ishan Khandekar and Divyanshi Bhowmick once again extended their unbeaten run with another dominant 3-0 victory. The duo has rapidly become one of the standout combinations of the tournament because of their chemistry, movement and tactical discipline under pressure. Cadet player Aakarshan Yadav also impressed with a clean 3-0 victory in the boys’ singles, helping Mumbai Mozartt build a significant early advantage. Once ahead, the team maintained steady control to eventually secure a comfortable 17-10 win. The performance highlighted the importance of youth development within the franchise setup, one of the primary objectives behind the creation of the TTSL structure.
In another close encounter, Ping Panthers edged past PBG Pune Jaguars 15-12 in a tightly fought tie where momentum shifted repeatedly between the two teams. Bayside Spinners also secured a narrow 15-12 victory over Jolly Friends Sporting Club in another competitive battle. With multiple ties being decided by fine margins, the overall standings continue to remain closely packed after the opening rounds.
One of the most encouraging aspects of the competition has been the blend of experienced veterans, rising junior talent and emerging UTT prospects competing together under the same format. The league structure has allowed younger paddlers to gain valuable match exposure against seasoned opponents while also giving state-level players a professional competitive environment. As the tournament progresses deeper into the league phase, consistency across categories rather than reliance on one or two star performers is increasingly proving decisive.
Century Warriors demonstrated that perfectly on Friday. Phantom Stars, meanwhile, continue to show why they entered the tournament as defending champions, while Mumbai Mozartt’s recovery keeps the race for playoff positions wide open.
With several more crucial ties still to come, Butterfly TTSL Maharashtra 2026 is steadily developing into one of the country’s most competitive state-level table tennis events.
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