Pro Kabaddi League or PKL is the biggest and most popular professional Kabaddi tournament hosted in India. Launched in 2014, PKL features top international men kabaddi stars, who go under the hammer every season in the PKL auction. The tournament is the second most watched sports league in India after the very popular Indian Premier League. While the league is broadcast on Star Sports, there are various online platforms that provide kabaddi fanatics with the PKL live score. The idea of PKL came into life after the popularity of the sport at the 2006 edition of the Asian Games.
Ever since the IPL has become popular in the Indian subcontinent, several sports came up with a league-based tournament, and PKL was no different. Like the cash-rich cricket league, PKL also follows a franchise-based model and was first hosted in 2014 with the participation of eight teams. Since kabaddi was less popular than cricket and had fans at grassroot levels in India, there were doubts whether the league would sustain or not. However, Indian fans as well as sports lovers across the globe adopted PKL and soon, the sport got fans in regions where the sport wasn’t much popular earlier.
The best part about PKL has always been the thrill it offers to fans and audience. Since its inception a decade ago, the league hasn’t seen one champion team every season. For example, Patna Pirates has won the tournament three times, consecutively. On the other hand, teams like Jaipur Pink Panthers have been crowned champions twice, while names like U Mumba, Bengaluru Bulls, Bengal Warriors, Dabang Delhi K.C and Puneri Paltan have won one title once.
The 2024 season of the PKL is set to begin on October 18 in Hyderabad. Unlike past editions, PKL Season 11 will have a three-destination format instead of the traditional 12-destination format in 2024. The first leg of the tournament will unfold in Hyderabad before the action moves to Noida Indoor Stadium and then Balewadi Badminton Stadium in Pune. The dates of the play-offs will be announced later along with their venues. Those who cannot travel but don’t wish to miss out on the action can rely on several media platforms for kabaddi live score.
Earlier, League Commissioner Anupam Gosawmi expressed his excitement about the upcoming edition of the PKL 2024. He highlighted the potential of the forthcoming edition to elevate Kabaddi’s status further domestically and globally. He said, “After successfully completing 10 seasons, PKL Season 11 will mark a new milestone in the continued rise of the league. This would strengthen the growth of Kabaddi in India and elsewhere around the world.”
PKL 2024 auction
In the auction for the next season, several players underwent bidding war in Mumbai, which shattered several records. A total of eight players secured bids of more than INR 1 Crore. Sachin Tanwar who was sold to Tamil Thalaivas, became the most expensive player with a bid of INR 2.15 Crore. Following him was Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh, who was sold to Haryana Steelers for INR 2.07 Crore. Other than him, Guman Singh (Gujarat Giants), Pawan Sehrawat (Telugu Titans), Bharat (UP Yoddhas), Maninder Singh (Bengal Warriors), Ajinkya Ashok Pawar (Bengaluru Bulls), and Sunil Kumar (U Mumba) secured bids of more than INR 1 Crore.