No 'Indians' Yet on Indian Panthers Roster as New Zealand National Basketball League Action Tips Off
Local New Zealand players step in to help the Indian Panthers’ as they are without Indian players for today's opening game against the Bay Hawks due to visa issues and national team commitments.
Napier, New Zealand, 12 March 2025: As the Sal’s National Basketball League (NBL) tips off its 2025 season, all eyes are on the Indian Panthers—New Zealand’s newest franchise with an international connection.
However, the team’s debut has had a rocky start with the delayed arrival of their highly anticipated Indian players.
Few Indian Players’ Names Already Announced
The Indian Panthers, in partnership with the Indian National Basketball League (InBL Pro), are set to introduce 10 top-tier players to the NBL.
A few of these names were already announced on the Panthers’ Instagram account, including talented upcoming U25 Indian players like Lokendra Singh, Jaideep Rathore, Riyanshu Negi, Vaisakh Manoj and Aaron Verghese Blessen. But thereafter, the remaining roster announcements abruptly stopped. The reasons have now become clear.
Reasons for Indian Players’ Absence
Turns out that the reason Indian players are absent is due to a late finish to the InBL Pro League in India and visa processing setbacks. This led to the Panthers initially being forced to withdraw from last week’s preseason tournament, Westside Blitz. Also, an ongoing Indian national team training camp in preparation for the just-announced FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Final Qualifying Tournament has further postponed the arrival of the Indian players.
As a result, the Panthers are unlikely to have a full roster assembled until later in March. While this is not the debut the franchise had hoped for, the NBL has swiftly adapted its rules, allowing the Panthers to begin the season with a Kiwi-heavy line-up to ensure the league schedule remains on track.
Opening Game vs Bay Hawks
For the opening game against the Bay Hawks at the Rondey Green Arena that has already tipped off, fans will see Kiwi players step in to help the Panthers out until their Indian players arrive.
Earlier today, via an official statement on Indian Panthers’ Instagram page, InBL Pro CEO, Parveen Batish stated that despite these challenges, Panthers’ historic debut in NBL is a “great opportunity not only for our Indian players to gain international experience but also for the local talent to showcase their skills on a bigger stage. It's a chance to build chemistry and set the foundation for a strong season ahead."
The five-month-long league will see the Panthers play their home games at the Pulman Arena in Auckland.
Get the full Indian Panthers’ season schedule here.
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