Zane Navratil Gives Armaan Bhatia Ringing Endorsement After Pair Finds Success in Asia
It’s safe to say the duo of Zane Navratil and Armaan Bhatia—essentially a blend of the East and West—had a successful run over these past two weeks, copping bronze in Men’s Doubles at the Panas Malaysia Cup 2025 last week and then nabbing silver at the MB Vietnam Cup 2025 this weekend.
They even got a signature win of sorts in Vietnam, besting the legendary pair of the GOAT Ben Johns and the OG Dekel Bar in the semis, 2-1 (11-4, 8-11, 13-11), in a thriller that showed what pickleball is like when played at the very top level.
Navratil and Bhatia couldn’t quite finish the job, though, as they ran into the dynamic duo of Tyson McGuffin and Eric Oncins in the Men’s Doubles Final at the MB Vietnam Cup 2025. But, all in all, Navratil and Bhatia acquitted themselves well in the two showcase tournaments that were part of this season’s PPA Tour Asia.
After playing with Bhatia for two weeks, it appears the American pro and influential pickleball podcaster now thinks very highly of the Indian sensation—so much so that he called on MLP teams, through his official X account, to pick his partner for the upcoming season.
“Armaan Bhatia. Somebody draft the man @MajorLeaguePB,” Navratil wrote on X.
Bhatia, who has found success in the APP Tour, might just be ready for that step up in competition. And should an MLP team heed Navratil’s recommendation, India’s top pickleball pro will be a step closer to his ultimate dream: making it to the PPA Tour.
If things align for Bhatia, he might just find himself going up against Navratil—or partnering up with him again—in the pinnacle of pickleball.
