India will look to make the most of familiar conditions and home support when the Asia-Oceania Group I ties of the Billie Jean King Cup begin on Tuesday. However, the home challenge has suffered a dent with the withdrawal of talented Shrivalli Bhamidipaty.
The hosts face a stiff challenge in a tightly-contested field where only the top two teams will progress, while the bottom two sides will be relegated to Group II for 2027. India return to the regional competition after a disappointing outing in the 2025 play-offs held in Bengaluru, where they finished third in a three-team Group G.
India's singles contingent still outside the top 300, reflecting the gap at the highest level. Indonesia head into the tournament as favourites, led by the highest-ranked player in the field Janice Tjen, who has rapidly risen into the top 50 of the WTA rankings.
Though she suffered an early exit at the Miami Open, her competitive three-set loss against Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva further illustrated her fighting ability. Having also clinched titles across WTA and WTA 125 events in 2025 and broken into the top 50 a rare feat for an Indonesian player Tjen arrives as the most accomplished singles player in the competition.
For India, the key will be to capitalise on home conditions and deliver under pressure an area that cost them in Bengaluru. If Sahaja and Vaishnavi can deliver in singles and the experienced doubles combination holds firm, the hosts stand a realistic chance of finishing in the top two and earning a return to the play-offs.
