U Mumba TT made Ahona Ray — winner of the girls' singles title at the WTT Youth Contender Doha 2026 and a medallist across national and continental competitions — the first overall pick in the UTT Juniors Season 2 Draft, as all seven franchises locked in their squads for the grassroots competition scheduled from 8 to 19 July alongside UTT Season 7 in Goa.

Key Draft Picks and Squad Composition

A total of 14 players — seven boys and seven girls — were distributed across the league's seven franchises. The players were selected from the Dream Sports Championships Table Tennis 2026, held earlier this year in Chennai, and represent India's most promising Under-15 paddlers.

Defending champions Kolkata ThunderBlades added the duo of Vatsal Duklan and Titash Chatterjee to their roster. A reversal of draft order in the second round saw Dabang Delhi TTC close out their selections with Himon Mondal and Sreejani Chakraborty. Ahmedabad APL Pipers picked Souswarya Banerjee and Aarya Redkar, while PBG Pune Jaguars selected Aarav Acharya and Shreya Dhar. UP Prometheans secured Nilay Pattekar and Subhomita Basak, and Dempo Goa Challengers brought in Akash Rajavelu and Sreosree Chakraborty. U Mumba TT added Somdev Sengupta to complete their squad alongside Ray.

The Development Pathway Behind the Initiative

Now in its second edition, Dream UTT Juniors — a collaboration between UTT and the Dream Sports Foundation (DSF) — is designed to embed young talent directly into the professional league environment. Selected players train alongside Butterfly UTT professionals during the competition window, work under franchise coaching staff, and gain first-hand exposure to elite high-performance setups.

The initiative's growing impact was underlined when Divyanshi Bhowmick, one of the standout performers from the inaugural season, became the youngest-ever player drafted into a Butterfly UTT squad after being picked by Dabang Delhi TTC at the Season 7 auction.

What the Organisers Said

UTT Co-Promoter Vita Dani said: 'Dream UTT Juniors has become an incredibly important part of our larger vision for Indian table tennis. The first season highlighted the quality and potential that exists at the grassroots level, and this platform gives young players the opportunity to learn and compete within a truly professional environment. Our aim is to continue creating meaningful pathways that help the next generation grow with confidence and ambition.'

Competition Format and Broadcast

UTT Juniors Season 2 will follow the same format as the senior UTT league. Each franchise plays every other team once during the league stage, with each tie comprising a Boys' Singles, Girls' Singles, and Mixed Doubles match — each game won contributing one point to the standings. The top four teams advance to the semi-finals. All matches will be streamed live on FanCode.

With the squads now finalised, attention turns to the July window in Goa, where these Under-15 players will compete on the same stage as India's top professional paddlers.