One of the highlights of kabaddi betting is undoubtedly the Pro Kabaddi League, which is about to take place for the 8th time (scheduled for December 2021). Let’s take a look at what makes betting on pro kabaddi different.
The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) was established in 2014 and fashioned after the Indian Premier League in cricket. This means, franchises are established and will bid on the top kabaddi players in the country to put together a team for the next season.
The latest auction took place in August 2021 after the PKL had to be cancelled for 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The last tournament was played in 2019 with the Bengal Warriors winning the tournament for the first time.
Initially, the PKL consisted of 8 teams, but in 2017 four more teams were added, which now makes it the biggest league in India.
The PKL follows the established rules for kabaddi, but to further the excitement with more opportunities to score, there are two additional rules:
There are twelve franchises in the PKL, which makes it an exceptionally big league:
Above are all teams in alphabetical order, but we also want to take a look at the top PKL teams, which is based on their wins:
Patna Pirates – Won the PKL three times in a row in January 2016, June 2016 and in 2017
Just looking at the number of championships, the Patna Pirates have been the most successful team in the PKL. But their last championship was five years ago. Their line-up for 2021 looks pretty good, though they definitely have the stronger team of raiders than defenders.
U Mumba – Won in 2015, runner-up in 2014 and 2016
In terms of total games played (81) during a PKL and the number of games they have won (42), U Mumba is the strongest PKL team. They only managed to become champions in 2015, however, which was quite some time ago. In 2021, the team has gone for almost even numbers of raiders, defenders and all-rounders, with a noticeable lack of experience in the raiders and defenders departments.
Bengaluru Bulls – Won in 2018, runner-up in 2015
The Bengaluru Bulls are a solid team, evenly winning and losing the matches they’ve been a part of. Their 2021 line-up looks promising, especially since many of the players have been retained from 2019, which should be an advantage. Their raiding line-up is certainly stronger than their defence, which lacks somewhat in experience.
Jaipur Pink Panthers – Won in 2014, runner up in June 2016
Whilst the Jaipur Pink Panthers lost more games than they won during the PKLs of the past, they were the first team ever to win a PKL. In 2021, they will have a balanced team, mostly because of a good set of all-rounders, though their raiders do lack some experience, which could see more pressure on the all-rounders.
Bengal Warriors – Won in 2019
As the current champions, the Bengal Warriors will enter the 2021 PKL with an advantage, though they have not had a chance to prove themselves since their win. They managed to retain two players from their previous raiding line-up, which should be an advantage. Overall, they enter the tournament with a strong team, which makes them a definite contender in 2021.
Gujarat Fortune Giants – Runner-up in 2017 and 2018
The Gujarat Fortune Giants get an honourable mention as they managed to become runner-up twice, the first time in the inaugural season in 2017. Whilst they’ve only played in 71 PKL matches, they managed to win 41 of those, which is a solid percentage. Their 2021 line-up comes with an excellent defence, though their raiding department definitely lacks experience.
Let’s take a look at the top kabaddi players lined-up for 2021:
|
Rank |
Player |
Franchise (2021) |
Matches played |
Total Points scored |
|
1 |
Perdeep Narwal |
UP Yoddha |
107 |
1169 |
|
2 |
Rahul Chaudhari |
Puneri Paltan |
122 |
1014 |
|
3 |
Deepak Niwas Hooda |
Jaipur Pink Panthers |
123 |
943 |
|
4 |
Ajay Thakur |
Dabang Delhi |
115 |
811 |
|
5 |
Maninder Singh |
Bengal Warriors |
79 |
740 |
|
Rank |
Player |
Franchise (2021) |
Matches played |
Total Points scored |
|
1 |
Manjeet Chhillar |
Dabang Delhi |
108 |
324 |
|
2 |
Ravinder Pahal |
Gujarat Giants |
122 |
307 |
|
3 |
Fazel Atrachali |
U Mumba |
103 |
297 |
|
4 |
Sandeep Narwal |
Dabang Delhi |
125 |
282 |
|
5 |
PO Surjeet Singh |
Tamil Thalaivas |
94 |
260 |
Of course, whilst these players have excellent stats that are worth considering when picking your favourites, unproven players may very well surprise us during the next PKL.
This is where things get interesting. Betting on kabaddi is generally quite exciting because this is such an action-packed and fast-paced sport. It simply can’t get boring, especially when you bet live on a match and sometimes it feels as if anything can happen.
What makes a difference in PKL betting is that the teams line-up are different in 2021 than what they were in 2019 during the last season. Champion players have been snapped up by different franchises and the team dynamics are not what they were during the previous season.
Making successful predictions can therefore be difficult. We don’t know how well a team may perform this season, which is why predictions are mostly based on individual team members.
It is therefore very important that you study the line-up of each team, how strong the raiders are and how experienced their defence is.
Indeed, if players have previously been part of the same team will also affect performance as we can expect them to know each other and play together better than a team that does not know each other very well just yet.
Let’s take a look at the PKL betting markets you are likely to find at most kabaddi betting sites:
Match Winner – Here you pick one of the two teams facing each other as the winner. It’s one of the most common and straightforward bets. Low odds indicate the team the bookmaker believes to emerge as the winner, whilst higher odds indicate the dark horse. Bigger wins are possible if you bet on the underdog, but your bet also has the higher chance of losing.
Outright Winner – Only one team out of the 12 can emerge as the overall winner in this tournament. Currently, most betting sites will have this option for you to bet on and as the tournaments progresses and teams are eliminated, the options will change as will the odds. It is an interesting market to observe before you decide on a bet.
Top Raider – Many kabaddi betting markets are somewhat generic to most sports, but Top Raider is specific to kabaddi. Based on the available stats, all top raiders and all-rounders are sure to populate the list of top raiders you will be able to bet on. Be sure to watch the form and in particular injuries sustained before deciding on your favourite here.
Top Tackles – Another specific kabaddi bet is that for Top Tackles. Past form will be a good indicator how well a good defender is likely to perform. But this is also a position where injuries abound. An aggressive defender may sustain injuries more often than a strategic defender. Watch performances carefully here before placing your bets.
With the PKL 2021 soon approaching, be sure to check out our betting tips, which we will have available for you as the matches are coming up. The new season will undoubtedly bring a lot of excitement and tons of opportunities to bet on the winner.
Be sure to check out our tips for potential winners. In the past we managed to be on point for a win of the Bengal Warriors against U Mumba:
“We think that the Bengal Warriors have the depth in their offense to be able to win this match. It is going to be tough against the U Mumba defence, but they have enough raiders to keep coming hard at them until the defence breaks down.”
Mind you, the finale of the Bengal Warriors against the Dabang Delhi K.C. was a tough one to call:
“The previous two matches between the two teams ended in a tie and a victory for the Bengal Warriors. These are the strongest teams and are pretty evenly matched. The absence of Maninder Singh tips the balance in favor of Dabang Delhi K.C.”
As it happened, Dabang Delhi lost by only 5 points, which underscores our analysis of both teams having been evenly matched.
We don’t have a prediction yet as to who will become the new champion, but be sure to follow our tips.