Organized by Mashal Sports, the Pro Kabaddi League (Vivo Pro Kabaddi League for sponsorship reasons) is the main professional kabaddi tournament in India and one of the biggest in the world. It was created in 2014 and is the only league with a franchise format. The inception was influenced by the highly popular kabaddi tournament that took place at the 2006 Asian Games.
Since the first season, the Pro Kabaddi League has brought many innovations to the rare sport and has grown with each passing year. The Pro Kabaddi League is officially supported by the Asian Kabaddi Federation, the International Kabaddi Federation and the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India.
STAR India and Mashal Sports have started a new era in kabaddi with the formation of the Pro Kabaddi League in 2014. The league helped the sport reach new heights and popularized it in Asian regions where it was virtually unknown. Since then, it has been backed by many sponsors who have recognized the potential of the sport. The league has millions of fans in India and Asia.
Mashal Sports didn’t just bring kabaddi closer to India – it also opened the door for young talents who are already taking over the league. The Pro Kabaddi League is now seen as an aspiring career for many talented players across India and Asia. The first season in 2014 started with 8 teams who paid $250,000 to join. Thanks to the huge popularity and a growing fan base, the league expanded to 12 teams this year, meaning more matches and excitement. The new season will start in early October and feature 138 action-packed matches over 13 weeks.
The league uses the standard kabaddi form with a few additional rules. To make things more interesting, the Pro Kabaddi League added the do-or-die raid and the Super Tackle rules, which encourage more scoring and action. The league was an instant hit in its first season – it was seen by 435 million viewers, ranking just behind the Indian Premier League. After adding 4 new teams in 2017, the league’s total number of participants increased to 12, which prompted the organizers to divide the teams into two divisions (zones).
The league uses a double round-robin and playoff format. It features 12 teams in total that come from all parts of India. Gujarat Fortune Giants, Bengal Warriors, Bengaluru Bulls, Dabang Delhi, Telugu Titans, Patna Pirates, Puneri Paltan, Jaipur Pink Panthers, Haryana Steelers, UP Yoddha, U Mumba, and the Tamil Thalaivas are going to fight for the title in the 2018 edition of the Pro Kabaddi League. This season will be the 6th in the league, with the Patna Pirates being the defending champion.
The first Pro Kabaddi League’s season officially started in 2014. It featured 8 teams and lasted from July to August. Since its inception, the league has used a double round-robin and playoff system, featuring two semi-finals, a third-place match and a final. The season had 60 matches in total and ended on August 31 when the Jaipur Pink Panthers took their first title in a final versus U Mumba.
The season started with an official auction for players. India’s kabaddi captain Rakesh Kumar was signed by the Patna Pirates as one of the most expensive players. The highest paid foreign player was Moustafa Noudehi, who was signed by the Puneri Paltan.
The champions Jaipur Pink Panthers were the most successful team in regular season and destroyed their opponents in the semi-final and final on their way to the inaugural Pro Kabaddi League title.
The second Pro Kabaddi League started in July 2015. The opening match was a repeat of the first season’s final between the Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba, where the defending champions were defeated. Just like the first season, the second edition of the Pro Kabaddi League featured 60 matches in total.
The season ended on August 23 with the U Mumba winning the title after being a runner-up in 2014.
The third and fourth edition of the Pro Kabaddi League introduced a change – instead of having one season that lasts from July to August, Star India decided to have two 5-week editions per year. Season 3 started in January and lasted until March, while season 4 took place between June and July 2016.
Season 3 had 60 matches in the popular round-robin and playoff format with Patna Pirates winning their first title. The June edition (season 4) started on 25 June 2016 and ended on 31 July, with the Patna Pirates again winning the title, their second overall and in a row.
The fifth season of the Vivo Pro Kabaddi league was the first to feature 12 teams, which meant a higher number of matches and a new player auction. All the existing teams were allowed to retain one player each. The most expensive foreign player was Jang Kun Lee, who was retained by his team Bengal Warriors.
The season had 138 matches in total. It started in July and ended in October, ditching the previous experimental format from seasons 3 and 4. For the third time in a row, the Patna Pirates took the title after defeating the Gujarat Fortune Giants in the final. The Pirates were dominant on their way to a record third title, with their players leading almost every statistical category in the league.
The sixth season of the Vivo Pro Kabaddi League will start on October 6 this year and is planned to end on January 6, 2019. Just like the previous season, it will feature 12 teams and have 138 matches in total.
The Patna Pirates are the defending champion and the bookie’s favorite, considering the fact that they have established dominance over the league in the past 3 seasons. The 2018 edition of the Pro Kabaddi League is the first to use UDRS or Umpire Decision Review System, a system that helps referees and umpires with their decisions. The system is commonly used in cricket and has now made the jump to kabaddi.
Check out our preview for the 2018 Kabaddi Pro League