Teams of the Pro Kabaddi League 

Sponsored by Vivo, Pro Kabaddi League is a men’s professional kabaddi league in India. Since its creation in 2014, the league has accepted several teams across Indian cities, evolving into one of the most competitive seasonal tournaments in the country. Beyond any doubt, the PKL has taken kabaddi beyond just a domestic sport, helping it gain prominence, attention, and viewership in India and beyond. 

The league is held every year. However, the 2020 edition was canceled because of the pandemic and the season resumed on December 22, 2021. Also, it is noteworthy that the PKL employed the Indian Premier League T20 cricket tournament format. 

The first phase of season nine of kabaddi pkl commenced on October 7, 2022, at Shree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. The next phase started on October 27 at Balewadi Pune and is expected to run until mid-December.

PKL Teams

At the onset of the Pro Kabaddi League, there were doubts that the league would last for a few years. However, the PKL was favored by the grassroots popularity the sport has amassed among the local community of India. In no time, the league attracted a solid fan base and several sponsors as it became popular. 

In its first edition, the league had over 435 million views. The second event had up to 552 million. From 2017 to 2019, the league added four more teams to the eight pre-existing teams.

Here are the twelve franchises currently in the Pro Kabaddi  League:

• Bengal Warriors
• Bengaluru Bulls 
• Dabang Delhi K.C. 
• Gujarat Giants 
• Haryana Steelers 
• Jaipur Pink Panthers 
• Patna Pirates
• Puneri Paltan 
• Tamil Thalaivas
• Telugu Titans
• U Mumba 
• U.P. Yoddhas

Bengal Warriors

Bengal Warriors are one of the league’s inaugural teams in 2014. Although their first two editions weren’t so great, the team went through revamping and qualified for the 2017, 2018, and 2019 playoffs. Bengal Warriors eventually qualified for a PKL final for the first time in 2019. They battled against Dabang Delhi, winning their first PKL title.

Bengaluru Bulls

Kosmik Global Media owns Bengaluru Bulls, a Pro Kabaddi League team in Bengaluru. The team first proved to be a force to contend with in the inaugural season when they reached the tournament’s semi-final stage. Also, they emerged as the first runner-up in 2015. In the 2019 edition, Bengaluru won their first trophy, beating Gujarat Fortunegiants in the finals.

Dabang Delhi K.C

Owned by Radha Kapoor, Dabang Delhi K.C. is based in New Delhi under the coaching of Krishan Kumar Hooda. The team won their first Pro Kabaddi League cup in the 2021-22 edition when they defeated Patna Pirates. Their home matches are played in the Thyagaraj Sports Complex.

Gujarat Giants

Owned by Adani Wilmar, Gujarat Giants previously went by Gujarat Fortunegiants. The team is based in Ahmedabad, India, under the coaching of Ram Mehar Singh, with Chandran Ranjith as the captain. While the team has yet to record any trophy win, they have reached the final twice in 2017 and 2018. The Arena by TransStadia hosts the team’s home games.

Haryana Steelers

Haryana Steelers is owned by JSW Sports, coached by Manpreet Singh, and led by Joginder Narwal. The team joined the PKL in 2017 with an impressive run, reaching the playoffs that year. However, they finished last at the bottom of Zone A in 2018. 

In 2019, the team had a great run and made it to the playoffs but lost their chance of reaching the final in the eliminator against U-Mumba.

Jaipur Pink Panthers

Jaipur Pink Panthers is a popular Pro Kabaddi league that laid a winning legacy in the first edition of the league. In 2014, they defeated U-Mumba with a 35-24 point difference. However, the team didn’t make it to the playoffs in the second and third editions.

Patna Pirates

Patna Pirates is based in Patna, Bihar, captained by Neeraj Kumar and coached by Ravi Shetty. Their home matches are played in the Patliputra Sports Complex. The Pirates have the highest winning record in the history of PKL, holding three titles from eight seasons. After the 2016 title, they also won the next two seasons, and in 2021, they came out as the first runner-up. Also, the team is the first to play 100 Pro Kabaddi matches.

Puneri Paltan

Puneri Paltan is based in Pune, Maharashtra, and coached by BC Ramesh. The team plays its home games at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex. Puneri Paltan is one of the inaugural teams of the league. However, they have yet to win any title so far. After three seasons, the team made the playoffs in 2017. However, they did not maintain this qualification, as they couldn’t make the 2018 playoffs. 

Tamil Thalaivas

Owned by Magnum Sports Private Limited, Tamil Thalaivas was founded in Tamil Nadu and hosted away players at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Since its successful qualification for the 2014 playoffs, the team has reached Zone B’s rock-bottom position in 2017 and 2018. Also, the team finished in the 12th position in 2019 and 2021. 

Telugu Titans

Telugu Titans are based in Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad. The team is owned by Mr. Srinivas Sreeramaneni and Mr. Mahesh Kolli. The G. M. C. Balayogi SATS Indoor Stadium hosts its home games in Hyderabad and the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Visakhapatnam. The Titans made it to the playoffs in 2015 and 2017. The team also had a fantastic season in 2015, making it to the semi-final. Unfortunately, they were denied their shot at the title by Bengaluru Bulls, who defeated them by an insanely narrow 38-39 point difference.

U Mumba

Owned by Unilazer Ventures Pvt.Ltd, U Mumba, has established dominance in the PKL. They play their home games at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Indoor Stadium, Mumbai. U Mumba made it to the finals in the inaugural season, but Jaipur Pink Panthers defeated them. However, In 2015, they took the title after defeating Bengaluru Bulls in the final. The team went on to make their third entry into the PKL final in 2016, making it three final appearances in a row.

Before the 2016 season, the team lost several key players, affecting their gameplay in 2017. However, 2018 saw U Mumba back on its feet as it made the playoffs that season.

U.P. Yoddhas

UP Yoddhas is based in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Owned by GMR Group, the team joined the PKL in 2017. While they are yet to clinch a title, the team has never missed the playoff qualification since their debut season, proof of their consistently outstanding performance. The franchise hosts away players at Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium.

Conclusion

The Pro Kabaddi League had a massive positive influence on kabaddi, increasing the sport’s prominence and putting it on the global map. All the teams listed above have contributed to ensuring the league retains a high level of competition, providing excitement to fans around the globe.  You can visit Parimatch to bet on your favorite PKL games.