Countdown For Kabaddi Action Begins: PKL Announces Season 12 Dates
Mashal Sports has officially announced that Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 will kick off on Friday, August 29, continuing the momentum from eleven successful editions. Reigning champions Haryana Steelers are set to defend their title in a season anticipated to be the most competitive yet, especially following a historic player auction that saw 10 players cross the ₹1 crore mark. With renewed squads and rising fan excitement, PKL promises a high-octane spectacle when it returns later this year
Pro Kabaddi League 12 Auction: 10 Crorepatis Highlight Day 1, Aanil Mohan Scripts History On Day 2
The Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 Player Auction concluded with high-octane bidding action over the weekend in Mumbai. Iranian star Mohammadreza Shadloui emerged as the top buy, joining Gujarat Giants for ₹2.23 crores, while Indian raider Devank Dalal followed closely at ₹2.205 crores with Bengal Warriorz. The auction saw the successful implementation of the new Final Bid Match (FBM) rule and witnessed fresh faces like Aanil Mohan making history, as U Mumba secured the Himachal all-rounder for a record ₹78 lakhs in Category D — the highest ever for that category.
Narender’s Super 10 and Sahil’s High 5 guide Tamil Thalaivas to 19-point win against U.P. Yoddhas
Tamil Thalaivas ended their 7-game winless run with a resounding 46-27 victory over U.P. Yoddhas in the Pro Kabaddi League match at the DOME by NSCI in Mumbai on Wednesday. Thalaivas raider Narender starred with 14 raid points, while left corner defender Sahil Gulia claimed 5 tackle points. Tamil Thalaivas got off to a fantastic start and needed just 7 minutes to inflict the first ALL OUT and soar to an 11-2 lead. Both of their raiders, Narender and Ajinkya Pawar, were in really good touch and made the difference in the first half. Neither of U. P. Yoddhas’ raiders – Pardeep Narwal nor Surender Gill – were effective and it took a couple of key raids from Vijay Malik for them to get going. The Tamil Thaliavas ended the first half with an 8-point lead at 19-11 and were in complete control of the game. The second half was more of the same as Narender returned to cause further trouble for the U.P. Yoddhas. The youngster produced 2 multi-point raids to lead his side to a second ALL OUT and further extend their lead. He slipped past the defensive duo of Nitesh Kumar and Gurdeep to earn the Thalaivas 4 points and take them to a 29-15 lead in the 26th minute. Pardeep endured a difficult outing and was sent to the bench for the 7th time in 11 raids, in the 30th minute, as the U.P. Yoddhas were reduced to 3 men and trailed by 15 points. The U.P. Yoddhas, on their part, did well to hold on and a SUPER TACKLE from Nitin Panwar helped their cause, but it still was not enough. Another multi-point raid from Narender saw a 3rd ALL OUT inflicted on the U.P. Yoddhas and that saw the Thalaivas pick up their 1st win in 8 games. The result also marked the Yoddhas’ 4th loss on the trot. The Sportz Planet Desk
U Mumba & Haryana Steelers play out high-octane tie in PKL Season 10
U Mumba and Haryana Steelers played out a highly entertaining high octane 44-44 tie in the final game of PKL Season 10’s leg at the DOME by NSCI on Wednesday. While Jaideep Dahiya’s brilliant defending earned him 8 tackle points, the real star of the game was Amirmohammad Zafardanesh, who almost single-handedly got his side a deserved tie with 14 raid points. The Haryana Steelers kicked off at a blistering pace and had, within minutes, reduced the U Mumba numbers on the mat. It wasn’t just via raiding though, as Jaideep Dahiya in defence was imperious, logging an impressive 4 raid points in the first half itself — over half of the Haryana Steelers’ total for the period. They inflicted the first ALL OUT of the game in the seventh minute to take a 11-6 lead and things looked bleak for the home side. In the next quarter of the game though U Mumba’s team rallied together, Amirmohammad Zafardanesh’s ability to constantly pick up bonus points, and Siddharth Desai’s SUPER RAID at the end of the half drawing them to within three to end the half. Despite having only three players on the mat at the beginning of the second half, the Haryana Steelers, courtesy of a SUPER TACKLE and some brilliant raiding, streaked into a 9 point lead within two minutes. The see-saw nature of the encounter ensured that they wouldn’t have the last say, as U Mumba slowly edged their way back. It took them nine minutes of the half, but eventually they inflicted an ALL OUT to erase that nine point deficit to draw level at 30 apiece. The momentum swung the other way almost immediately as the Haryana Steelers defence held together and created a second ALL OUT to take a five point lead. U Mumba inflicted a second ALL OUT to draw level at 44 apiece, with 40 seconds left. Neither team could break the deadlock in the dying seconds as they took a deserved point apiece. The Sportz Planet Desk
‘It’s a rare occasion for sports tournaments to sustain for 10 seasons,’ says Bollywood Star Tiger Shroff on Pro Kabaddi League
Bollywood Star Tiger Shroff graced his presence at the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 in Mumbai on Monday. He cheered on the U Mumba side, which took on Dabang Delhi K.C. at DOME by NSCI. Speaking about his favourite PKL player, Tiger Shroff said, “My favourite player is Pawan Sehrawat. I can relate to him because he’s a high flyer. And my favourite move is the Dubki. I really like how the raiders evade a chain of defenders through explosive power.” Shroff, who trained in kabaddi for his film Student of the Year 2 in 2019, spoke about his experience of practicing the sport, “One of the main sports was kabaddi in Student of the Year 2. I trained a lot in kabaddi for the movie to get the body language correct. It was quite challenging for me. I learnt how to carry out raids and tackles. I also tried different moves such as Dubki.” The Bollywood star further added, “Kabaddi is a really physical sport. It requires a lot of athleticism, strength and agility. I am really impressed by how the athletes perform in the Pro Kabaddi League.” When asked about his thoughts on the Pro Kabaddi League, Shroff said, “This is the tenth season of the Pro Kabaddi League and it is a rare occasion for sports tournaments to sustain for so many seasons. I am very happy to be associated with the Pro Kabaddi League and it’s really heartening to see the youth take interest in kabaddi.” The Sportz Planet Desk
Bengal Warriors bank on sublime defence as High 5s from Vaibhav and Shubham take them past Telugu Titans
Bengal Warriors snapped their 4-game winless streak as they produced a splendid defensive performance to defeat Telugu Titans 46-26 in the Pro Kabaddi League match at the DOME by NSCI in Mumbai on Tuesday. Warriors’ defender Vaibhav Garje was the star player of the game as he scored a stunning 9 tackle points, while Titans captain Pawan Sehrawat bagged yet another Super 10. Bengal Warriors were without their captain and ace raider Maninder Singh, but that offered a chance to Nitin Kumar to grab the spotlight. He troubled the Telugu Titans’ defence with his mercurial raids, while the Warriors’ defensive duo of captain Shubham and Vaibhav were brilliant on the evening. The Warriors needed all of 7 minutes to grab the first ALL OUT and take a 10-4 lead. Titans’ skipper Pawan was off-colour and their raiding unit was unable to fire on all cylinders as the Warriors’ defence reigned supreme. Vaibhav trapped Pawan in a perfect tackle to bring up his 6th tackle point within the opening half itself and the Warriors wrapped up the second ALL OUT at the cusp of half-time. The former champions led by 17 points as the scorecard read 27-10. The second half saw the Titans put their best foot forward and fight towards a comeback. They struck back through a quick series of points and their relentless efforts paid off in the 33rd minute when Pawan powered past Shubham and Aditya Shinde to inflict an ALL OUT. That very move cut down the Warriors’ lead to 9 points at 33-24. Nitin, however, denied the Titans any chance of a comeback as he escaped the clutches of Sandeep Dhull and Mohit in a clean-up act and inflicted a 3rd ALL OUT on the Titans. With less than 2 minutes to go, the scoreline read 42-24 in the Warriors’ favour. Shubham ended the game with tackles on Pawan and Robin Chaudhary to bring up his High 5 and his team’s 4 victory of the season. The Sportz Planet Desk
Parteek Dahiya Says Adani Sportsline Owned Gujarat Giants Have Only PKL Title in Mind
One of the brightest spots in the Adani Sportsline-owned Gujarat Giants squad this season has been the young Parteek Dahiya, who has been in fine form for his side, which is captained by Fazel Atrachali and coached by Ram Mehar Singh. Parteek, who is in his second season in the PKL, came through the New Young Players’ programme in Season 9, and has been one of the standout performers for the Gujarat Giants, since joining the squad. The ace raider has scored 44 points in the last 4 games, with the Giants having won 7 out of their 11 games. In fact, against the Bengal Warriors in Noida, Parteek raised the bar and how, scoring 22 raid points and 3 tackle points to put in a power packed performance for the Adani Sportsline owned Gujarat Giants.Looking back, Parteek explained, “I started the season a little slowly but now that has changed and I am fully fit right now, and that is showing as I am playing longer durations in the game. What I do is, I keep myself focused on the strategy we have as a team, and look to perform my tasks accordingly, so that it benefits the team.” Parteek likes to keep things simple – he is well aware of his responsibilities for the team, and is keen to perform as best as he can to help the Gujarat Giants in their hunt for the coveted title. When comparing his first season to the ongoing one, Parteek noted that hard work has been the key to his progress. “I have been working hard with the coaches and they have been continuously helping me improve in my raiding and even my defensive performances. One of the things I have also worked on has been picking up more bonus points for the team. Ram Mehar Sir is always talking to me about my performances after games, and keeps motivating me a lot, and I think he expects me to do better in the future.” While Ram Mehar is a stalwart in the sport of Kabaddi, Parteek, who hails from a sporting family where his uncle is the former India kabaddi captain Deepak Niwas Hooda and his sister is Asian Boxing Championships bronze medallist Preeti Dahiya, is also delighted to be playing alongside the champion Fazel Atrachali. “Fazel’s presence is immense for our team as he makes our defensive unit solid and then also is motivating all of us at all points, no matter what. He is a very positive character in the team, and he is very good person to have on your team.” Parteek, who says that his uncle has been a big influence on his career and dreams of a successful stint in the India colours, has his target set for the season. “We have to win the PKL title in Season 10. We as the Gujarat Giants have only one target, and that’s the trophy. We have all the support we need from the team owners and the management, the Adani Sportsline team, has always done everything to back us fully in every aspect, and we could not be happier about that. It helps us be focused and play better eventually,” he signed off. The Adani Sportsline owned Gujarat Giants will now move to Jaipur, where they will face the Puneri Paltan on 12th January. The Sportz Planet Desk
Return of U Mumba reignites Kabaddi fervour in the City of Dreams
U Mumba will be looking to carry their momentum in the ongoing 10th Season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) as they return to Mumbai after a four-year-long hiatus. U Mumba will play four high-octane matches at the DOME, NSCI, during the Mumbai-leg which will feature a total of 11 matches. U Mumba has been on a roll this season, winning five of their seven matches played so far, including four back-to-back wins and are making positive strides towards a return to the playoffs. Rinku, debutant Sombir and team vice-captain Mahender Singh have been setting the mat on fire with their performances as top defenders, while Iranian recruit, 19-year-old Amirmohammad Zafardanesh has also emerged as a find of the tournament, and the best raider for the team with 64 raid points so far. Thrilling performances from captain Surinder Singh, prolific raider Guman Singh and key all-rounder Vishwanth also continues to dazzle the U Mumba ranks. “Our primary goal has been to secure a spot in the playoffs and showcase consistency and determination throughout and I’m delighted with the performances the boys have been putting up. Winning five out of the seven matches & four successive matches for the first time since Season 6 signifies the hard work done pre-season, the team camaraderie and the belief that this young UMumba team have for each other. Our spirit and excitement are very high to play in Mumbai after four long years and delight the home crowd. We hope our home matches will further catapult the confidence of the team as we go forward,”commented U Mumba CEO Suhail Chandhok during a press conference, attended by coach Gholamreza Mazandarani, Surinder, Mahender and Girish, on Thursday. After becoming the first & only team in the Pro Kabaddi League to have registered 100 wins in PKL history, U Mumba will be seeking to continue their formidable run in the 10th Season when they take on Bengaluru Bulls on Friday. “Playing before the fans at home will boost the side to deliver their A game. To me every game whether home or away is equally important but we hope to make use of the home advantage with our fans cheering us on during the Mumbai leg. If you analyse the seven matches we have played, the one we could not win went down to the wire and the last few games has seen tremendous improvement in terms of strategy under pressure,” coach Mazandarani said. Zafardanesh leads U Mumba’s stats as the top raider with 64 points in seven matches and has been the find of the season for the team. With an average of 8.86 raid points per match, the Iranian recruit also impresses with 76% not outs. Meanwhile, the experienced Guman Singh, with two Super Raids, has accumulated 54 points at the average of 7.71 raid points per match. Known for its prowess, U Mumba commands three premier sports franchises at the PKL and Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) while the upGrad Mumba Masters also reached the final of the inaugural Global Chess League. The Sportz Planet Desk
Arjun and Reza lead Jaipur Pink Panthers to a victory against Haryana Steelers
NOIDA, 3rd January: Defending champions Jaipur Pink Panthers rode on Arjun Deshwal’s raiding brilliance as they beat Haryana Steelers 45-34 in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 match at the Noida Indoor Stadium on Wednesday. Arjun (14 raid points), Reza Mirbagheri (7 tackle points) and Ankush (5 tackle points) were the top performers for Jaipur Pink Panthers, while Chandran Ranjit (11 raid points) and Mohit Nandal (5 tackle points) were Haryana Steelers’ best players on the night. There was a surprise in both teams’ starting 7 as Haryana Steelers raider Chandran got his first game of the season, while Rahul Chaudhari was named in the Jaipur Pink Panthers squad. The two veteran raiders began the proceedings for their teams and Chandran was off to a good start as he struck in each of his initial raids. It was only a matter of time before Arjun Deshwal joined the party, and when he did, he quickly swung the momentum in Jaipur Pink Panthers’ favour. Arjun played an instrumental role in the first ALL OUT as he escaped Mohit’s ankle hold and then landed a back-kick on Mohit Nandal and then Rahul tagged Rahul Sethpal soon after to put his side ahead 17-13 with a little over 4 minutes to go. He then completed his Super 10 within the 1st half as his men went into the break with a healthy lead. Haryana Steelers got off to a superb start in the 2nd half and some solid work from Mohit and Chandran got the side within the cusp of an ALL OUT, but SUPER TACKLES from Lucky Sharma and Reza helped the Jaipur Pink Panthers stay afloat. However, Chandran produced a multi-point raid in the 29th minute to finally grab the ALL OUT. The Haryana Steelers trailed only by 1 point at 28-29 at this point and were within touching distance of a comeback, but Arjun dashed their hopes. Arjun, who was the most successful raider last season, got Mohit and Rahul first and then came back to oust Jaideep Dahiya and Vinay to lead his side to another ALL OUT. Jaipur Pink Panthers led by 9 points with 4 minutes to go and had the game in the bag. The match ended with Bhavani Rajput escaping Jaideep’s grasp as the Jaipur Pink Panthers notched up their 4th win in 5 games. The Sportz Planet Desk
Pardeep Narwal’s efforts in vain as Patna Pirates register a victory against UP Yoddhas
NOIDA, 1st January 2024: The Patna Pirates continued their winning form with another victory as they beat home side UP Yoddhas 48-41 in their Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 clash at the Noida Indoor Stadium on Monday. The plaudits fell to the lap of raider Sachin and his brilliant SUPER 10 (in addition to his two tackle points), as well as their skipper Neeraj Kumar’s HIGH 5, which was enough to take his team to victory despite a fighting season-best 21 points from league legend and UP Yoddhas skipper Pardeep Narwal against his former team. The home side were pegged back by the Patna Pirates early in the game as the team from Bihar got the UP Yoddhas ALL OUT in the first 10 minutes of the match. This gave them an eight-point lead after the Pirates took advantage of multiple unsuccessful raids by the side from Uttar Pradesh. All eyes were on leading PKL raider Pardeep Narwal, with the fan favourite starting the match on a positive note, getting a couple of successful raids as well. For the Patna-based side, it was their raider Sachin fetching a majority of the points and racing to eight raid points in the first half. But his run was stopped beautifully by the UP Yoddhas’ defenders who were slowly clawing their way back into the game after a SUPER TACKLE from substitute Shivam Chaudhary. This was not enough to hold back the Pirates, who had a comfortable 12-point lead heading into half-time after a late ALL OUT against the Yoddhas, their second of the match in the first half. The second half started with a bang for the home team as Pardeep displayed why he is one of the best raiders in the league. He eliminated three of the opponent’s defenders — Ankit, Manish and Sudhakar M — to complete an exhilarating SUPER RAID, as well as his SUPER 10 with one swift move. The Pirates, led by veteran defender Neeraj Kumar who bagged a HIGH 5 for himself, were off guard in the first five minutes of the second half. They found their feet in the game after Neeraj got Pardeep to win a SUPER TACKLE, and then Manjeet joined the party in a DO-OR-DIE raid, with Nitesh Kumar, Vijay Malik, and Sumit finding themselves off the mat. Manjeet struck once again soon after, as the Yoddhas were caught ALL OUT for the third time in the match and the Pirates began taking an unassailable lead in the game. This did not stop the rampage created by Sachin during the match, with his all-round performance taking all the attention by the end of the match. The Yoddhas getting the Pirates ALL OUT in the final two minutes of the clash did not do much, with the Patna-based team eventually securing a seven-point victory over their rivals.