Pardeep Narwal has been the top raider in Pro Kabaddi with 1764 raid points in 184 matches. The ‘Dubki King�?who became the first player in Pro Kabaddi to breach the 1000-point mark scores at an average of more than 10 raid points per match in the league. 

With 1526 raid points in 156 matches, Bengal Warriors captain Maninder Singh is next on the list of most raid points in Pro Kabaddi. 

Pawan Sehrawat, who has accumulated 1281 raid points in 135 games is next on the list. Arjun Deshwal is next on the list with 1117 raid points in 108 matches in Pro Kabaddi.

Closely following Deshwal is Season 8 Most Valuable Player (MVP) Naveen Kumar,who amassed 1066 raid points across 100 games. Naveen Kumar was the fastest player to cross the 500 raid point-mark (47 matches) in Pro Kabaddi.  

Rahul Chaudhari with 1045 raid points features in the top 10 list of top raiders in Pro Kabaddi. Chaudhari also topped the raiding charts in Pro Kabaddi Season 4 with 146 raid points across 16 matches to help Telugu Titans reach the semi-final. 

Most raid points in Pro Kabaddi: Know the list

Pos.	Player	Matches	Raid points
1	Pardeep Narwal	184	1764
2	Maninder Singh	156	1526
3	Pawan Sehrawat	135	1281
4	Arjun Deshwal	108	1117
5	Naveen Kumar	100	1066
6	Rahul Chaudhari	154	1045
7	Deepak Niwas Hooda	157	1020
8	Sachin Tanwar	142	1020
9	Vikash Kandola	128	813
10	Ajay Thakur	120	794

Featured photo: Pro Kabaddi

Champions of Season 8 of the Pro Kabaddi League, Dabang Delhi K.C. will be eager to get their hands on the PKL title once again, after crashing out in the Playoffs stage in the last campaign. Dabang Delhi K.C. have reached the Playoffs in each of the last five PKL seasons, and they will fancy their chances of another appearance in Season 11.

Ahead of PKL Season 11, Joginder Narwal, who served as an assistant coach under former Dabang Delhi K.C. head coach Rambir Singh Khokar in PKL 10, has been promoted to the role of head coach.

Joginder brings title-winning expertise, having led Dabang Delhi K.C. to their only PKL title as captain in Season 8. Dabang Delhi K.C. weren’t the most active at the auction table, having retained most of their star players before the Season 11 Player Auction. However, they boast a strong squad filled with top talents. Here’s a look at their strengths and weaknesses ahead of the new campaign.

Strengths

Dabang Delhi K.C. undoubtedly possesses one of the strongest raiding units in the PKL, with the likes of Naveen Kumar and Ashu Malik forming an irresistible duo in the attack. Ashu Malik finished Season 10 as the league’s joint top-scoring raider with 276 raid points, while two-time MVP Naveen Kumar is sixth on the all-time leaderboard for most raid points (1005) in PKL history.

While Naveen Kumar and Ashu Malik can be expected to wreak havoc on opposition defences, Dabang Delhi K.C. can be confident in the knowledge that they have plenty of firepower and depth in attack, should either of their star raiders have an off day.

The acquisition of Siddharth Desai, who has notched up 693 raid points, further strengthens their attack, while all-rounder Ashish has proven he can contribute in offence, having amassed 184 raid points in the past.

Weaknesses

Meanwhile, Dabang Delhi K.C.’s defence could be a potential weakness if their top guns aren’t in form and firing on all cylinders. After finishing third in the leaderboard for most tackle points (74) last season, Yogesh will be entrusted to lead the defence. While he did shine for Dabang Delhi K.C. last season, Yogesh isn’t the most experienced and the same could be said about the rest of the team's defensive unit.

Like Yogesh, Ashish is another Dabang Delhi K.C. defender who played his first PKL campaign in Season 10, scoring a respectable 48 tackle points. The defensive performance of the Season 8 champions in the new campaign will depend heavily on their young and relatively inexperienced defensive duo, Yogesh and Ashish. A bad day at the office for the pair could result in Dabang Delhi K.C. falling short in matches.

Even though the addition of Rinku Narwal for INR 13 lacs at the Player Auction brings some defensive experience, it’s worth mentioning that he didn’t feature in PKL last season and hasn’t been the most consistent performer in the past. With 148 tackle points to his name and PKL experience under his belt, Rinku Narwal will be hoping to lead by example although it remains to be seen if that comes to pass.

Opportunities

As far as opportunities go, Dabang Delhi K.C.’s fringe talents will be hoping to step up and make the most of the chances that they receive. Their all-round talents like Ashish and Nitin Panwar will be hoping to make their presence felt, particularly, in defence - a potential area of concern for Dabang Delhi K.C..

Over the years, Ashish and Nitin Panwar have managed 64 and 15 tackle points respectively and they will be keen on improving their tally when given a chance to perform on the mat. All-rounder Brijendra Chaudhary will also hope to rise to the challenge when given the opportunity, while defender Vikrant will be eager to kick on after accumulating 25 tackle points in his debut PKL campaign last season.

Threats

One of the biggest threats to Dabang Delhi K.C.’s PKL 11 campaign is the risk of injuries, particularly to their raiders. Naveen Kumar and Ashu Malik are capable of dismantling any opposition on their day. However, if either of them succumbs to injury, the burden of raiding will fall heavily on the other player, disrupting the team’s raiding balance.

Siddharth Desai has struggled to cope with the mantle of being a team’s main raider in the last few seasons and Dabang Delhi K.C.’s all-rounders don’t seem ready to take on the lead raider responsibility yet.

Naveen Kumar has suffered injuries that have sidelined him from games in recent seasons, including most of the last campaign, where he played a total of six games. Similarly, Ashu Malik endured a rotator cuff tear a couple of years ago, and needless to say, keeping both him and Naveen Kumar fit will be crucial to Dabang Delhi K.C.’s success in Season 11

Two-time Pro Kabaddi League runners-up, Gujarat Giants, will be looking to put their best foot forward in a bid to secure the elusive PKL title in Season 11. One of the most consistent teams in the league, the Giants have reached the Playoffs in four of the six PKL seasons in which they have competed.

The Giants exited the league last season after losing to Haryana Steelers in the Eliminator and will be eager to go the distance in the upcoming campaign under the guidance of head coach Ram Mehar Singh, who led Patna Pirates to PKL glory in Season 5.

Heavily active at the Season 11 Player Auction, Gujarat Giants signed a total of 15 players as they looked to build a strong squad capable of challenging for the title. With that in mind, let’s examine the strengths and weaknesses of Gujarat Giants ahead of Pro Kabaddi League Season 11.

Strengths

One of Gujarat Giants�?undeniable strengths heading into Season 11 of the PKL is their formidable raiding unit. Blessed with attacking depth and multiple raiding options, the Giants will primarily rely on the likes of Guman Singh, Parteek Dahiya, and Rakesh to break down opposition defences.

Much will hinge on Guman Singh, who is expected to be the team’s main raider after they acquired him for INR 1.97 crore at the Season 11 Player Auction. Ninth on the leaderboard for most raid points (163) in Season 10, Guman has accumulated 400 raid points in the PKL and will be counted on to lead the Giants�?attack. He will be supported by Parteek Dahiya and Rakesh, both of whom are more than capable of wreaking havoc on opposition defences on their day.

Parteek Dahiya, in particular, has been impressive for Gujarat Giants, amassing 308 raid points in his two seasons with the team. Rakesh, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back after a slightly underwhelming campaign last season and will be eager to add to his 379 raid points in Season 11. Monu is another player who has proven his ability to contribute in attack, with 109 raid points to his name in the PKL.

Weaknesses

While their attack looks strong on paper, Gujarat Giants�?defence leaves much to be desired. Apart from Sombir and Neeraj Kumar, the Giants lack well-established defenders who have made a significant impact in the league. Sombir has managed 194 tackle points in the PKL, while Neeraj Kumar has accumulated 172 tackle points.

To address their defensive weaknesses, the Giants bought the likes of Nitesh, Manuj, Mohit, Harsh Lad, and Iranian Vahid Rezaeimehr at the Season 11 Player Auction. However, none of them have sufficient PKL experience to guarantee success. Moreover, Gujarat Giants�?defensive shortcomings cost them in several close games last season, and it remains to be seen whether this influx of relatively inexperienced defenders can improve their defence.

Opportunities

With their defence not looking up to the mark, a lot about Gujarat Giants will boil down to their all-round talents. The likes of Mohammad Nabibakhsh and Balaji D will need to make their presence felt in tackles and have proved that they are capable of doing so in the past. While Mohammad Nabibakhsh has accounted for 79 tackle points in PKL, Balaji D has scored 42.

Additionally, Neeraj Kumar’s performance in defence will be crucial after a below-par campaign last time around. He has performed well under the tutelage of head coach Ram Mehar Singh in the past and will be hoping to return to his best in Season 11. Monu is another player who could show his defensive prowess and help strengthen the Giants�?defence.

He has 114 tackle points in PKL and will be hoping to execute a few more tackles to help with the balance of the team. Monu and Mohammad Nabibakhsh could be crucial to the Giants as they can be effective on both ends of the mat and it will be interesting to see if they make the most of the opportunities presented to them.

Threats

As far as threats go, the general lack of experience across both Gujarat Giants�?defensive and raiding units could pose a significant area of concern to the team’s fortunes in Season 11. This proved to be a problem for the Giants in Season 10 as well when they lost plenty of close contests that they should have won.

Even their strong raiding unit will be led by Guman Singh, who isn’t the most experienced main raider in the league, to say the least. While Guman can be a menace to any defence on his day, it is imperative that he makes the most of his past experiences in the league to become a more consistent performer who can be relied on. At the end of the day, how Gujarat Giants�?squad overcomes their relative inexperience is what could be the defining factor in their Season 11 campaign

Champions of Season 6 of the Pro Kabaddi League, Bengaluru Bulls will be keen to once again get their hands on the PKL title after missing out in the last four campaigns. They made the playoffs in three of the last four seasons but missed out on a berth in the Playoffs in Season 10.

Bengaluru Bulls, in fact, have reached the Playoffs in six out of the 10 PKL seasons so far. Their sole PKL triumph came in Season 6, while they’ve also finished runners-up in Season 2 once, besides making four other Playoff appearances.

Season 11 will see Bengaluru Bulls continue with head coach Randhir Singh Sehrawat, who has been with the franchise since the inaugural edition of PKL and is the league’s longest-serving coach.

Active at the Season 11 Player Auction table, Bengaluru Bulls finished the two-day event with a squad that has plenty of exciting talents. Their new-look raiding unit, in particular, will strike fear in opposition defensive units and here we take a closer look at their squad, assessing their strengths and weaknesses ahead of the new campaign.

Strengths

The Bulls purchased Pardeep Narwal for INR 70 lakhs and Ajinkya Pawar for INR 1.107 crores at the Season 11 Player Auction, strengthening the team’s raiding unit. While Pardeep Narwal is the highest-scoring raider in PKL history with 1,690 raid points, Ajinkya Pawar has accumulated 454 raid points over the years.

Pardeep Narwal, who made his PKL debut with the Bulls in Season 2, will be hoping to return to his best after a few underwhelming seasons. He can expect solid support from Ajinkya Pawar, who was the seventh most-expensive player in the Season 11 Player Auction and has averaged more than 100 raid points in the last three seasons.

Raider Jai Bhagwan is another exciting attacking addition to the Bulls�?squad after being bought for INR 63 lakhs. He has managed 122 raid points in two seasons and will be eager to make an impact with the Bulls in the upcoming campaign. Furthermore, their retained raiders like Sushil and Akshit enhance their attacking depth. While Sushil managed 100 raid points last season, Akshit scored 61 raid points.

Weaknesses

It will be interesting to see how Bengaluru Bulls�?defence rises to the challenge in Season 11. Captain Surabh Nandal is the only established defender in the Bengaluru Bulls squad and he will be entrusted to lead the defence from the front in the new campaign. However, Saurabh Nandal, who has managed 246 tackle points in his PKL career, will need defensive support from what seems to be an inexperienced defensive unit on paper.

The likes of Parteek, Arulnanthababu and Rohit Kumar have all competed in one season of PKL and have collectively accumulated 46 tackle points. Needless to say, the aforementioned defensive trio will need to raise their game in Season 11 along with Ponparthiban Subramanian, who has scored 40 tackle points over four seasons.

Opportunities

After missing out on Season 10 due to injury, the upcoming campaign will serve as the perfect opportunity for all-rounder Nitin Rawal to make up for lost time. An explosive player who can be a menace on both ends of the mat on his day, Nitin Rawal has amassed 142 raid points and 94 tackle points in his PKL career.

His defensive ability will be crucial to the fortunes of Bengaluru Bulls as they seem slightly short in defence. Bought for INR 13 lacs at the Player Auction, how Nitin Rawal fares alongside fellow all-rounder Chandranaik M will go a long way in determining how the Bulls�?season progresses. Known to be a robust tackler, Chandranaik M’s defensive contributions could prove to be vital for the Bulls.

Threats

A lot of how the Bengaluru Bulls�?season unfolds could also depend on Pardeep Narwal’s form. The Dubki King hasn’t enjoyed the best of outings in his last few campaigns but will be hoping to turn things around under the tutelage of head coach Randhir Singh Sehrawat, who gave Pardeep his PKL debut.

If Pardeep does rediscover his form, the Bulls can expect a solid season. However, should Pardeep struggle, the lack of a distinct main raider in the team might be a concern, as none of Ajinkya Pawar, Jai Bhagwan, Sushil, or Akshit have the experience of consistently being a lead raider or the know-how to handle the expectations and pressure associated with that role

Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) is the most popular kabaddi league in the world. 

Founded in 2014, Pro Kabaddi is the second most watched sports league in India after the Indian T20 League.

The inception of PKL was influenced by the popularity of the kabaddi tournament at the 2006 Asian Games while the format was inspired by the popular Indian T20 League.

Since 2014, there have been seven different champions. Patna Pirates are the most successful team in the league with three titles followed by Jaipur Pink Panthers with two titles.

The likes of U Mumba, Bengaluru Bulls, Bengal Warriorz, Dabang Delhi K.C. and Puneri Paltan have clinched the title once each.

Here’s a look at the team owners of the various franchises. Get Pro Kabaddi owners list: Know who owns which team

Pro Kabaddi owners

Bengal Warriorz 

Pro Kabaddi Season 7 champions Bengal Warriorz are owned by Capri Sports, the  official sports arm of Capri Global Holdings. The sports and recreation company, Capri Sports, has an existing portfolio across sports like kabaddi, cricket and Kho Kho. Apart from Kolkata-based Bengal Warriorz, Capri Sports is also associated with UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League, Sharjah Warriors in the International League T20 and Rajasthan Warriors in the Ultimate Kho Kho. Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar is also the co-owner of the team.

Bengaluru Bulls

Pro Kabaddi Season 6 winners Bengaluru Bulls are owned by a construction company named WL League Pvt. Ltd. Based in Hyderabad, WL League Pvt. Ltd. is an 11-year-old construction company that specialises in repairing buildings and completing half-finished houses. Bengaluru Bulls were previously owned by Kosmik Sport League Private Limited, which was engaged in the events And entertainment industry.

Dabang Delhi K.C.

Doit Sports Management (india) Private Limited acquired ownership of Dabang Delhi K.C.. The PKL Season 8 winner Dabang Delhi is owned by Radha Kapoor Khanna, the eldest daughter of former Yes Bank MD and CEO Rana Kapoor. Radha Kapoor Khanna, who is currently the only female owner in PKL, also owns the Dabang Mumbai Hockey Club and the Dabang Delhi Table Tennis Club.

Gujarat Giants 

Two-time PKL finalists Gujarat Giants are owned by Adani Sportsline, the sports arm of  the Adani Group. Adani Sportsline owns numerous sports teams across various leagues. Under the moniker ‘Gujarat Giants�? it owns teams in the Women’s Premier League, Pro Kabaddi League, Ultimate Kho Kho League and Legends League Cricket. It also acquired Gulf Giants that compete in the International League T20.

Haryana Steelers 

PKL Season 10 finalist Haryana Steelers are owned by Indian multinational conglomerate JSW Group. Founded by Om Prakash Jindal and currently led by Sajjan Jindal, JSW Group has a diverse business portfolio including steel, energy, infrastructure, cement, automotive and paints. Apart from Haryana Steelers, JSW Group is also associated with Delhi Capitals, Delhi Capitals Women’s Team, Pretoria Capitals and Bengaluru FC. 

Jaipur Pink Panthers

Inaugural PKL champion Jaipur Pink Panthers are owned by Bollywood superstar Abhishek Bachchan. Based in Jaipur, Rajasthan, Jaipur Pink Panthers are exclusively managed by GS Entertainment Worldwide which is headed by Mr. Bunty Walia, one of the leading film producers and Sports Entrepreneur and Mr Juspreet Singh Walia. After clinching the inaugural PKL title in 2014, the Panthers won it again in 2022 as they became the second-most successful team in the league after Patna Pirates. 

Patna Pirates 

Three-time PKL winners Patna Pirates are owned by Gujarat-based businessman Rajesh V Shah, under the non-government company KVS Energy and Sports Limited. Rajesh Shah is a former co-chairman and director at a steel producer company, Mukund Enterprises. As part of the Bajaj Group, Mukund Enterprises is one of India’s leading conglomerates associated in the manufacturing of stainless steel, alloy steel, and stainless steel billets. Under Rajesh V Shah’s ownership, Patna Pirates became the most successful team with three consecutive titles in 2016 and 2017.

Puneri Paltan

Pro Kabaddi Season 10 champion Puneri Paltan are owned by Insurekot Sports Private Limited. Established in 2014, Insurekot Sports aims to contribute towards the betterment of sports in the country. With its best efforts, the company offers a platform to young and talented athletes with top infrastructure, so that they can make their mark in the industry. In PKL Season 9, Puneri finished runners-up after going down to Jaipur Pink Panthers in the final.

Tamil Thalaivas

Chennai-based Tamil Thalaivas are owned by the consortium Magnum Sports Private Limited, the parent company of Indian Super League (ISL) club Kerala Blasters FC. The Magnum Sports Private Limited invests in various sporting ventures, especially in kabaddi and football in the country. 

Telugu Titans 

Telugu Titans are a franchise of Veera Sports owned by Srinivas Sreeramaneni of Vaya Group, of NED Group and Mahesh Kolli of Greenko Group. Since making their debut in 2014, Telugu Titans have been one of the inconsistent teams in the league with only two playoffs appearances so far.

U Mumba

Pro Kabaddi Season 2 winner U Mumba are owned by Unilazer Ventures Private Limited. Founded by entrepreneur, investor and film producer Ronnie Screwval, Unilazer Ventures Private Limited is a Mumbai-based private equity and venture capital firm specialised in early and late-stage investments

UP Yoddhas 

Lucknow-based UP Yoddhas was acquired by GMR Group in 2017. Headquartered in New Delhi, GMR Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate with several companies including GMR Infrastructure, GMR Energy, GMR Airports and GMR Enterprises. Furthermore, GMR Group forayed into sports by acquiring stake in Indian T20 League side Delhi Capitals and later UP Yoddhas

Photo credit: Imago

The advent of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) has brought many kabaddi players from across India into prominence and revolutionised one of India’s most enjoyable indigenous sports. The demand for players by teams in every PKL auction has been a testament to the rising popularity of kabaddi.

With each passing PKL season, franchises have been rather upfront to place massive bids to secure the services of their targets with as many as seven players touching the crore mark.

Iranian defender Fazel Atrachali was the first player in PKL history to cross the one-crore mark when he was bought by U Mumba ahead of Season 6. Fazel would break his own record as Puneri Paltan paid INR 1.38 crore to sign him as the most expensive defender at the time in PKL history. He was also bought by Gujarat Giants for INR 1.60 crore ahead of Season 10, making him the only PKL player to surpass the crore mark thrice in league history.

Atrachali's countryman Mohammadreza Shadloui Ciyaneh, on the other hand, is the most expensive foreign player in PKL history after Puneri Paltan bought him for INR 2.35 crore in the Season 10 Player Auction. 

Pawan Kumar Sehrawat, meanwhile, became the first PKL player to be signed for two crores. Tamil Thalaivas broke the bank to land the marquee raider for INR 2.26 crore ahead of Season 10. Sehrawat was at it again in the Season 10 Player Auction when he became the most expensive player in PKL history again after an INR 2.605 crore bid took him to Telugu Titans.

Sachin became the second most expensive Indian player in PKL history after Tamil Thalaivas roped in the raider for INR 2.15 crore. He surpassed Maninder Singh on the list.

In all, there have been 25 times that kabaddi players have been bought for over the 1 crore mark in PKL.

Most expensive player in PKL history: All-time list

Player	Team	Fee	Season
Pawan Kumar Sehrawat	Telugu Titans	INR 2.605 crore	Season 10
Mohammadreza Ciyaneh	Puneri Paltan	INR 2.35 crore	Season 10
Pawan Kumar Sehrawat	Tamil Thalaivas	INR 2.26 crore	Season 9
Sachin	Tamil Thailavas	INR 2.15 crore	Season 11
Maninder Singh	Bengal Warriors	INR 2.12 crore	Season 10
Mohammadreza Chiyaneh	Haryana Steelers	INR 2.07 crore	Season 11
Guman SinghÂ	Gujarat Giants	INR 1.97 crore	Season 11
Pawan Kumar Sehrawat	Telugu Titans	INR 1.73 crore	Season 11
Vikash Kandola	Bengaluru Bulls	INR 1.70 crore	Season 9
Pardeep Narwal	U.P. Yoddhas	INR 1.65 crore	Season 8
Fazel Atrachali	Gujarat Giants	INR 1.60 crore	Season 10
Monu Goyat	Haryana Steelers	INR 1.51 crore	Season 6
Siddharth Desai	Telugu Titans	INR 1.45 crore	Season 7
Fazel Atrachali	Puneri Paltan	INR 1.38 crore	Season 9
Bharat	UP Yoddhas	INR 1.30 crore	Season 11
Rahul Chaudhari	Telugu Titans	INR 1.29 crore	Season 6
Guman Singh	U Mumba	INR 1.22 crore	Season 9
Nitin Tomar	Puneri Paltan	INR 1.20 crore	Season 7
Deepak Hooda	Jaipur Pink Panthers	INR 1.15 crore	Season 6
Maninder Singh	Bengal Warriorz	INR 1.15 crore	Season 11

However, long before PKL’s crore club was formed, franchises were spending big in the player auction even when the league was still in a relatively nascent stage.

Here we look back at Pro Kabaddi’s most expensive players following the auctions from each season. While there were no auctions ahead of Season 2 and 3 of PKL, the rest of the editions saw franchises splash the cash in their bid to secure the top players.

Most expensive PKL players: By each season

Season 1: Rakesh Kumar to Patna Pirates - INR 12.80 lakh 

Rakesh Kumar was the most expensive player in the inaugural auction. The all-rounder was bought for INR 12.80 lakh by Patna Pirates. 

The Pirates managed to reach the semi-final of the competition in that season despite Rakesh featuring in only four matches and notching just 17 points overall.

Season 4: Mohit Chhillar to Bengaluru Bulls - INR 53 lakh   

During the Season 4 auction, Mohit Chhillar was bought by Bengaluru Bulls for INR 53 lakh, which was four times his base price. 

Mohit Chhillar scored 47 tackle points that season and finished as the third-best defender in the league. The Bulls, meanwhile, failed to qualify for the playoffs, finishing sixth in the standings. 

Season 5: Nitin Tomar to U.P. Yoddha - INR 93 lakh

Nitin Tomar was bought for INR 93 lakh by UP Yoddha in the franchise’s first PKL season. He is amongst Pro Kabaddi’s most expensive players, having gone on to attract bids worth over a crore on more than one occasion after his Season 5 exploits.

Tomar had a dream season with UP Yoddha in the fifth edition of PKL, scoring 167 raid points in 20 games. The team made it to the playoffs but were knocked out in the eliminator match.

Season 6: Monu Goyat to Haryana Steelers - INR 1.51 crore 

PKL’s Season 6 auctions saw Haryana Steelers secure the services of star raider Monu Goyat for INR 1.51 crore.

A PKL title winner with Patna Pirates, he notched 160 raid points for Haryana in Season 6 before moving to UP Yoddha ahead of the seventh edition. Haryana Steelers finished bottom of the Zone A standings in Season 6.

Season 7: Siddharth Desai to Telugu Titans - INR 1.45 crore 

Siddharth Desai was bought by Telugu Titans in the PKL 7 auction. He had an impressive debut season with U Mumba, scoring 218 raid points. His debut PKL campaign convinced Telugu Titans to buy Siddharth ‘Bahubali�?Desai for a whopping INR 1.45 crore, which accounted for almost 33 per cent of their budget. 

He finished Season 7 with 217 raid points and is currently second on the list of Pro Kabaddi’s expensive players�?list. Telugu Titans, meanwhile, finished their campaign in 11th place in the 12-team league.

Season 8: Pardeep Narwal to U.P. Yoddha - INR 1.65 crore

‘Dubki King�?Pardeep Narwal joined U.P. Yoddha for a fee of INR 1.65 crore, becoming the most expensive signing in PKL history. After five seasons with Patna Pirates, Narwal signed up for his third different team since making his PKL debut in 2015.

With 188 raid points under his belt in Season 8, Pardeep Narwal took his overall raid points tally to 1,348 points. However, he finished the season as a semi-finalist as U.P Yoddha lost to Patna Pirates.

Season 9: Pawan Kumar Sehrawat to Tamil Thalaivas - INR 2.26 crore

Pawan Kumar Sehrawat became the first two-crore man in PKL history after Tamil Thalaivas bid a massive INR 2.26 crore to sign him for Pro Kabaddi Season 9.

Among the most prolific raiders in the competition, Pawan Kumar Sehrawat joins his latest team with a record of 986 raid points and 49 Super 10s in 104 matches.

Season 10: Pawan Kumar Sehrawat to Telugu Titans - INR 2.605 crore

Like in Season 9, Pawan Sehrawat once again was the most expensive buy ahead of Season 10 of Pro Kabaddi after Telugu Titans secured his signature with a massive bid at the auction.

Despite suffering an injury that ruled him out of Season 9, Pawan Sehrawat's stock was still high as he reclaimed his label of being the most expensive player in PKL history.

Season 11: Sachin to Tamil Thalaivas - INR 2.15 crore

Sachin became the most expensive player in the Pro Kabaddi Season 11 Player Auction after Tamil Thailavas roped in the raider for INR 2.15 crore.

The Rajasthan-born kabaddi star, who holds the record for the most do-or-die raid points (233) in PKL history, was pursued by teams like Telugu Titans, UP Yoddhas and Gujarat Giants before Tamil Thalaivas acquired his services for a whopping amount.

Featured Photo: Pro Kabaddi League 

The Bangabandhu Cup is an International kabaddi tournament held in Bangladesh.

Started in 2021, the Bangabandhu Cup is named after Bangladesh's father of the nation - Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. 

Organised by the Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation, the first edition of the Bangabandhu Cup witnessed five countries from three continents participate in the prestigious kabaddi tournament.

Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka from Asia, Kenya from Africa and Poland from Europe competed in the inaugural Bangabandhu Cup kabaddi tournament.

Hosts Bangladesh won the first Bangabandhu Cup after defeating Kenya 34-28 in the 2021 final in Dhaka.

The second edition of the Bangabandhu Cup took place in Dhaka in 2022. As many as eight teams from three continents competed in the tournament.

Iraq, Indonesia, Malaysia and England were the four new teams that participated in the Bangabandhu Cup kabaddi tournament in 2022. Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Kenya were the other teams that battled for the Bangabandhu Cup 2022.

Poland was the only team that didn’t participate in the second edition because of the Russo-Ukrainian War.

As per the Bangabandhu Cup 2022 format, these eight teams were divided into two groups of four teams each.

The Bangladesh national kabaddi team later won the Bangabandhu Cup for the second time after they pipped Kenya 34-31 in a nail-biting final.

The third edition of the Bangabandhu Cup began on March 13, 2023 and concluded on March 21, 2023.

A total of 12 teams from four continents participated in the Bangabandhu Cup 2023.

Argentina, Thailand and Chinese Taipei took part in the Bangabandhu Cup for the first time in the 2023 edition.

Apart from these three teams, Bangladesh, England, Iraq, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Kenya, Poland and Sri Lanka were the other teams that participated in this edition.

These participating teams were split into two groups of six teams each. The top two teams from each group advanced to the semi-finals.

Later in the 2023 final, Bangladesh beat Chinese Taipei 42-28 to win the Bangabandhu Cup three times in a row.

Bangladesh continued their dominance in 2024 as they defeated Nepal 45-31 in the final to clinch their fourth Bangabandhu Cup. Get Bangabandhu Cup winners list.

Bangabandhu Cup winners list: Know all the champions 

Year	Host	Winner	Runner-up	Third-place
2021	Dhaka	Bangladesh	Kenya	Sri Lanka
2022	Dhaka	Bangladesh	Kenya	Iraq and Sri Lanka
2023	Dhaka	Bangladesh	Chinese Taipei	Thailand and Iraq
2024	Dhaka	Bangladesh	Nepal	Kenya and Thailand

Photo credit: Poland Kabaddi Team/Facebook

Since its inception in 2014, Pro Kabaddi has been instrumental in revolutionizing the sport in the country. The eight seasons of the league have witnessed six champions with Patna Pirates being the only team to win the title on more than one occasion. Jaipur Pink Panthers, U Mumba, Bengaluru Bulls, Bengal Warriors, Dabang Delhi K.C. and Puneri Paltan are the other five teams who have been crowned the PKL champions so far.  

Here’s the list of all the Pro Kabaddi winners 

PKL Season 1 winner: Jaipur Pink Panthers  

Jaipur Pink Panthers were the inaugural champions of Pro Kabaddi in 2014. Topping the league stage of the tournament with 10 wins from 14 matches, the Navneet Gautam-led side beat U Mumba by a 35-24 margin in the final. Maninder Singh starred for Jaipur with 10 points in the final and finished as the third-highest Raid Point scorer with 130 points after Anup Kumar (155) and Rahul Chaudhari (151). 

PKL Season 2 winner: U Mumba

After missing out on the title in the inaugural edition, U Mumba made their second final in a row in Season 2 and edged past Manjeet Chhillar’s Bengaluru Bulls 36-30 in the grand finale of Pro Kabaddi in 2015. In a tightly contested final, Shabeer Bappu’s Super Raid in the dying moments sealed the win for U Mumba. Anup Kumar marshalled his troops to the title win with a complete all-round effort. U Mumba scored the most Do-or-Die raid points (81) and Tackle Points (196) in Season 2. 

PKL Season 3 winner: Patna Pirates

Patna Pirates were crowned champions of PKL Season 3 in 2016 after beating U Mumba 31-28 in a cliffhanger. Season 3 saw the emergence of young Pardeep Narwal as he topped the raid charts for the season with 116 Raid Points. Overall, Patna scored 324 Raid Points throughout the season with Telugu Titans�?254 being the second-best. Such was Patna’s dominance that they also ended up inflicting the most All-Outs (30) in Season 3.  

PKL Season 4 winner: Patna Pirates

Patna Pirates won their second successive PKL title in Season 4 of Pro Kabaddi after defeating Jaipur Pink Panthers 37-29 in the final. Pardeep Narwal’s 16 Raid Points was the highlight of the final as the ‘Dubki King�?steered his team to back-to-back Pro Kabaddi titles. Pardeep Narwal won the Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) for the season for his effort of 133 raid points from 16 matches, including five Super 10s. The defensive unit was led by the brilliance of Iranian Fazel Atrachali who emerged as the best defender of the season with 52 Tackle Points.

PKL Season 5 winner: Patna Pirates 

Patna Pirates created history in Season 5 by becoming the first team to win a hat-trick of Pro Kabaddi titles. Patna Pirates steamrolled Gujarat Giants in the PKL final of 2017 to win the match 55-38. Season 5 saw Pardeep Narwal etch his name into the history books by scoring the most number of points by a raider (369) in a single Pro Kabaddi season. Patna Pirates ended the season with a total of 1050 points - the most by any team in Pro Kabaddi. Patna also inflicted a whopping 55 All-Outs on their opponents throughout the season, 19 more than the next-best Gujarat Giants.  

PKL Season 6 winner: Bengaluru Bulls 

Bengaluru Bulls won their maiden Pro Kabaddi trophy in Season 6 of Pro Kabaddi in 2018 beating Gujarat Giants 38-33 in the final. Pawan Sehrawat led the charge for his team with 22 points in the match - the most by any player in a Pro Kabaddi final. The season, in fact, belonged to Pawan as he won the MVP Award for scoring 271 Raid Points overall with an average of over 11 points per match. 

PKL Season 7 winner: Bengal Warriors

Bengal Warriors edged past Dabang Delhi K.C. 39-34 to win their first Pro Kabaddi title in Season 7 held in 2019. Bengal Warriors displayed an all-round effort in the final led by Iranian Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh, who scored 10 points in the match. Maninder Singh was the best raider for Bengal Warriors during the season with 205 Raid Points while their defensive unit was led by the corner duo of Baldev Singh and Rinku Narwal, who accumulated 66 and 64 Tackle Points respectively.

PKL Season 8 winner: Dabang Delhi K.C.

Dabang Delhi K.C. beat three-time champions Patna Pirates 37-36 to win their maiden Pro Kabaddi title in Season 8. Riding on Naveen Kumar and all-rounder Vijay's super 10, Dabang Delhi K.C. edged past Patna Pirates in an intriguing final that was decided off the final raid. Star raider Naveen Kumar was adjusted MVP of Pro Kabaddi Season 8 for scoring 207 raid points across 17 matches.

PKL Season 9 winner: Jaipur Pink Panthers  

Jaipur Pink Panthers won their second PKL title in Season 9 of Pro Kabaddi after defeating Puneri Paltan 33-29 in the 2022 final. Star raider Arjun Deshwal and defender Ankush were the standout performers in the 2022 edition for Jaipur Pink Panthers. Arjun Deshwal accumulated 296 raid points while Ankush registered 89 tackle points to guide the Pink Panthers to their second PKL title.

PKL Season 10 winner: Puneri Paltan 

Puneri Paltan beat Haryana Steelers in the 10th edition to lift their maiden Pro Kabaddi League Trophy. The low-scoring final featured a scoreline of 28-25. The Paltan's all-rounder, Aslam Mustafa bagged a total of four points with two successful raids and a successful tackle. 

Featured photo: PKL / Website

Indian kabaddi player Nitesh Kumar holds the record for the most tackle points in a PKL season. 

In Pro Kabaddi Season 6, the U.P. Yoddhas�?star defender Nitesh Kumar became the first player in PKL history to score 100 tackle points in a season. 

Iranian all-rounder Mohammadreza Chiyaneh features second on the list for the most tackle points in a PKL season. 

Representing Puneri Paltan, Mohammadreza Chiyaneh notched up 92 tackle points in 22 matches in PKL 10.

Jaipur Pink Panthers�?Ankush and Mohammadreza Chiyaneh share the third spot on the list for the most tackle points in a PKL season. 

Left-corner defender Ankush accumulated 89 tackle points in 24 matches in Pro Kabaddi Season 9.

Mohammadreza Chiyaneh once again features on the list. Playing for his former PKL side Patna Pirates, Chiyaneh accrued 89 tackle points in 24 matches in PKL 8. Get the list of most tackle points in a PKL season.

Most tackle points in a PKL season: Know the record holders in Pro Kabaddi for all seasons

Player	Team	Matches	Tackle Points	Season
Nitesh Kumar	U.P. Yoddhas	25	100	Season 6
Mohammadreza Chiyaneh	Puneri Paltan	22	92	Season 10
Ankush	Jaipur Pink Panthers	24	89	Season 9
Mohammadreza Chiyaneh	Patna Pirates	24	89	Season 8
Fazel Atrachali	U Mumba	24	82	Season 7
Surender Nada	Haryana Steelers	21	80	Season 5
Manjeet Chhillar	Puneri Paltan	15	61	Season 3
Ravinder Pahal	Dabang Delhi K.C.	14	60	Season 2
Fazel Atrachali	Patna Pirates	16	52	Season 4
Manjeet Chhillar	Bengaluru Bulls	16	51	Season 1

Nitesh Kumar | 100 tackle points | Pro Kabaddi Season 6

U.P. Yoddhas�?Nitesh Kumar etched his name in history books as he became the first player to score 100 tackle points in a single Pro Kabaddi campaign. While Nitesh accumulated 20 tackle points in the first seven games in Season 6, he amassed 40 tackle points in the next nine matches. He later scored 25 tackle points in the final six games to help the Yoddhas qualify for the playoffs. Nitesh racked up eight tackle points in the Yoddhas�?34-29 win over U Mumba in the first eliminator before scoring three tackle points in the eliminator game, which they won 45-33 against Dabang Delhi. He managed to bag six tackle points in the second qualifier against the Gujarat Giants to reach 100 tackle points.

Mohammadreza Chiyaneh | 92 tackle points | Pro Kabaddi Season 10

Mohammadreza Chiyaneh has been one of the standout overseas players in PKL history. The Iranian star repaid the faith showcased by Puneri Paltan after they purchased Chiyaneh for a whopping INR 2.35 crore during the PKL Season 10 Auction. The younger all-rounder has been in sensational form for Puneri Paltan as he notched up 92 tackle points in 22 matches to help his side finish as table-toppers in PKL 10 with 96 points, four points clear of second-placed Jaipur Pink Panthers. In the PKL playoffs, Chiyaneh will aim to break Nitesh Kumar’s record for the most tackle points in a PKL season. Earlier in PKL 8, the Iranian star accumulated 89 tackle points while playing for his former side Patna Pirates.

Ankush | 89 tackle points | Pro Kabaddi Season 9

Jaipur Pink Panthers�?Ankush stole the limelight with his incredible defending capabilities in Pro Kabaddi Season 9. The left-corner defender notched up 89 tackle points in 24 matches to help Jaipur Pink Panthers clinch their second PKL title. Ankush formed a formidable defensive partnership with the likes of Sunil Kumar and Sahul Kumar as Jaipur Pink Panthers defeated Puneri Paltan 33-29 in the 2023 final.

Photo credit: Alamy

Tamil Thalaivas hold the record for registering the highest team score in Pro Kabaddi League history. The Thalaivas did so against Bengal Warriors in match 126 of PKL Season 10.

With both sides out of the playoffs reckoning at the stage, the Thalaivas decided to go all out and put the Warriors to the sword by registering a 74-37 victory - the highest team score in a PKL match.

Narender and Vishal Chahal proved to be too much to contain for the Warriors as the Thalaivas' raiding duo combined for a whopping 35 raid points themselves. Their effort is the first and only time a PKL team has broken the 70-point margin in a match.  

Previously, Patna Pirates held the record for registering the highest team score in Pro Kabaddi and they had done so twice. 

The three-time champions won 69-30 against Haryana Steelers in Eliminator 2 of Pro Kabaddi Season 5 and later equalled their own record in Season 7 against Bengal Warriors during the league stage. 

Pardeep Narwal was the top scorer for the team in both instances, recording 34 and 36 points against Haryana Steelers and Bengal Warriors respectively. 

The Pirates also have the fourth-highest team total in Pro Kabaddi. Led by Rohit Kumar’s 16 points, Patna Pirates registered a 67-34 win over Dabang Delhi K.C. in match 45 of Pro Kabaddi Season 3 to claim the honour. 

Captain Rohit features heavily again for the fifth-highest team total in Pro Kabaddi but on this occasion donning Bengaluru Bulls colours. The Bulls thrashed U.P. Yoddha 64-24 in match 51 of Pro Kabaddi Season 5 and registered a 40-point win - the highest in Pro Kabaddi history. Rohit Kumar singlehandedly accounted for 32 of those points. 

Bengaluru Bulls feature again in sixth spot in the list for the highest total in Pro Kabaddi courtesy of their comprehensive 61-22 win over Dabang Delhi K.C. in Season 8. The win margin of 39 points is the second-biggest victory margin in Pro Kabaddi. Pawan Sehrawat led from the front in this match by scoring 27 raid points. 

Telugu Titans�?60-24 win over Puneri Paltan in Season 1 was the first instance that a Pro Kabaddi team breached the 60-point mark. 

Meanwhile, Patna Pirates�?55-38 win over Gujarat Giants in Season 5 is the highest team score in a Pro Kabaddi final.

Highest team score in a Pro Kabaddi match: Know the list 

Season	Match	Score
Season 10	Match 126	Tamil Thalaivas 74-37 Bengal Warriors
Season 5	Eliminator 2	Patna Pirates 69-30 Haryana Steelers
Season 7	Match 124	Patna Pirates 69-41 Bengal Warriors
Season 3	Match 45	Dabang Delhi K.C 34-67 Patna Pirates
Season 5	Match 51	Bengaluru Bulls 64-24 U.P. Yoddha
Season 8	Match 50	Dabang Delhi K.C. 22-61 Bengaluru Bulls
Season 7	Match 113	Puneri Paltan 40-60 Dabang Delhi K.C.
Season 10	Match 97	Puneri Paltan 60-29 Telugu Titans
Season 1	Match 41	Telugu Titans 60-24 Puneri Paltan
Season 7	Match 118	Haryana Steelers 36-59 Bengaluru Bulls
Season 5	Match 107	Tamil Thalaivas 37-58 Telugu Titans
Season 5	Final	Gujarat 38-55 Patna Pirates

Author: Kaustubh Potdar

Featured photo: Alamy