Bengaluru Smashers Defeat Puneri Paltan 10-5

Manika Batra led PBG Bengaluru Smashers to a 10-5 victory over Puneri Paltan Table Tennis in the Ultimate Table Tennis 2024, despite initially losing to Ayhika Mukherjee before winning the next two games to secure a 2-1 match victory. The tie also featured a notable win by 17-year-old Ankur Bhattacharjee, who defeated Jeet Chandra 2-1, marking a strong performance for Puneri Paltan. In the mixed doubles, Batra partnered with Alvaro Robles to clinch a 2-1 victory against their opponents, followed by Robles defeating Joao Monteiro in the men's singles. The match concluded with USA's Lily Zhang sealing the win for her team against Yashini Sivashankar. Both Batra and Zhang were honored as the Indian and Foreign Player of the Tie, respectively, for their outstanding performances. This match also marked a historic moment for Puneri Paltan, as they became the first team to have all six players in the starting lineup across five matches.