Mumbai, Jun 19 (PTI) Defending champions Chennai Lions will take on Puneri Paltan in the Ultimate Table Tennis Season 4 opener in Pune on July 13.

The league schedule was announced on Monday.

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A total of 18 matches, including the semifinals and final, will be played among the six franchisees. The title clash is scheduled for July 30.

Bengaluru Smashers, Dabang Delhi TTC, Goa Challengers and U Mumba TT are the other four franchisees who will fight for the coveted title.

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Bengaluru Smashers and U Mumba TT will begin their campaign in the second tie of the season on July 14 whereas Dabang Delhi TTC and Goa Challengers will play their opener on July 15.

UTT Season 4 will have the presence of global stars, including ace African paddler Quadri Aruna (WR16) and USA's Lily Zhang (WR24) while Sharath Kamal, Manika Batra and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran headline the Indian field.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)