new delhi, Aug 28
The 12th season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) will kickstart on August 29, National Sports Day, with some of India’s greatest sporting icons uniting to celebrate the country’s sporting legacy.
Badminton legend and Padma Bhushan awar-dee Pullela Gopichand, hockey great Dhanraj Pillay, kabaddi icon Pardeep Narwal, and Rajasthan Royals sensation Vaibhav Suryavan-shi will share the stage and stand together for the National Anthem as the new season gets underway.
“This season of the Pro Kabaddi League begins in the presence of legends who have shaped India’s sporting journey. Their legacy reflects the very spirit PKL celebrates, honouring our roots while taking kabaddi to new heights,” said Anupam Goswami, league commissioner, Pro Kabaddi. Rajasthan Roy-als youngster Vaibhav Suryavanshi added, “National Sports Day reminds me how sports bring everyone together. Playing teaches you teamwork, discipline, and resilience.
I feel lucky to be part of Rajasthan Royals, and I hope more kids like me start playing and believing in themselves.”
This season, PKL will be available in eight languages — English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, and for the first time, Haryanvi and Bhojpuri.
The commentary line-up features an eclectic mix of voices including Bhojpuri star Ravi Kishan, coach Srinivas Reddy (Telugu), former champions K. Prapanjan, Mohit Chhillar, Vishal Mane, ex-India women’s captain Mamatha Poojary, and raider Rishank Devadiga. Renowned broadcasters like Sunil Taneja, Vrajesh Hirjee, Padamjeet Sehrawat, NC Kaushik, and Chaitanya Sant will further enrich the storytelling.
On the mat, new rules promise added drama. League matches ending in a tie will now go into tie-breakers, while a new ‘play-in’ stage will allow teams ranked 5th to 8th to fight for playoff berths, with the top two advancing directly and 3rd-4th playing a mini-qualifier.
Ahead of the season, the PKL paid tribute to the Indian Armed Forces, with the 12 captains visiting the INS Kursura – a Submarine that participated in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, where it played a key role in patrol missions.
Three of PKL’s services players – Devank (Indian Army, Bengal Warriorz), Naveen (Indian Air Force, Haryana Steelers), Bharat (Indian Navy, Telugu Titans), were also involved in a special activation at the INS Kursura.
The action begins with a southern derby as Telugu Titans face Tamil Thalaivas in the first match of the opening night, before the Bengaluru Bulls and the Puneri Paltan face off in the second match at the Vishwanadh Sports Club in Vizag.
After the Vizag leg from August 29 to September 11, the PKL caravan moves to Jaipur (September 12 to September 28), Chennai (September 29 to October 10), and New Delhi (October 11 to October 23). The venue for the playoffs and grand finale is yet to be decided.
