India, April 28 -- Ankur Bhattacharjee's presence was a requirement at the Kolkata ThunderBlades' table. He was their "lucky charm" as the team's management worked its way through the auction for the seventh season of the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT).

Though just 19, Bhattacharjee was among the four players retained by the six teams (each franchise was allowed one retention) competing at the marquee competition. It is not difficult to understand why.

At last year's edition, he remained unbeaten, living up to the expectation that he is the next big player to emerge from the country. He rose to world No. 2 in juniors in the 2025 season, his last as an U-19 player, led the Indian team to a first-ever silver medal at the World Youth Champion...