Salvi, Patil claim Maharashtra Open 35+ men’s doubles crown

Rohan Salvi and Anay Patil kept the Maharashtra Open’s veteran draw in their grip, adding the 35+ men’s doubles crown to a tournament run that already included the 35+ Intermediate men’s doubles title. In the final, they beat Vishal Jadhav and Nitten Nirrtane after establishing control early and never really surrendering the rhythm of the match.

What stood out was not a single flashpoint but the repeatability of their partnership. Salvi and Patil were sharp at the net, clean on returns and disciplined in the way they turned mistakes from Jadhav and Nirrtane into pressure. That kind of execution is often what separates a good doubles pair from a title pair, especially in older age brackets where positioning, touch and decision-making matter as much as speed.

Their second title at the same event underlined that point. Earlier in the competition, Salvi and Patil won the 35+ Intermediate men’s doubles final by defeating Sujan Narvekar and Shivanand Kotian 21-12, a result that showed the pair carrying form from one bracket to the next. Winning two divisions at one tournament is more than a hot streak. It is proof of chemistry that translates across opponents and match types.

The result also fit the bigger picture around the Maharashtra Open 2026, an Indian Pickleball Association-sanctioned PWR 400 event launched at Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai. The three-day event ran from May 1 to May 3 and drew more than 1,000 players across 30-plus categories, with winners earning qualification for the National Championship. Maharashtra Minister of Cultural Affairs Ashish Shelar attended the inauguration, adding to the sense that this was more than a local meet. It was a statement about how quickly organized pickleball is scaling in the state.

That scale matters because the Maharashtra Open has become a useful measure of depth, not just talent. The schedule stretched across age and skill divisions, including veteran finals such as the 50+ men’s doubles, won by Nitten Kirtane and Atul Edward. For Indian pickleball, that spread is crucial. A circuit that can support competitive brackets for younger players and seasoned doubles teams alike is building the kind of base needed for stronger regional and national pathways. Salvi and Patil’s twin titles were the clearest proof yet that in this circuit, partnership strength is becoming as important as individual shot-making.