Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba took to the pitch in Mumbai for the first-ever Pro Kabaddi League match exactly nine years ago. After nine seasons, the Pro Kabaddi competition has grown to become India’s second-largest sporting competition.
In this blog, we will discuss the Pro Kabaddi League’s incredible journey towards becoming one of India’s premium domestic Kabaddi tournaments.
Pro Kabaddi League History
Mashal Sports organizes the Pro Kabaddi League PKL. After extensive market research and analysis, its inaugural season began on May 20, 2014, with the Vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 1 Player Auction. The game brings to the home public by Star India Network as an integral element of Mashal Sports.
Meanwhile, Anup Kumar, the Most Valuable Player Award winner in Season 1 and U Mumba Captain talks about the first-ever PKL match, saying; “We were quite nervous just before the game started.” We’d never played on a platform like this before.
PKL History: Franchises (Teams) in Pro Kabaddi League
As of now, 86.4 million viewers have watched the inaugural season’s final between Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba (8.64 crores).
The league of Pro Kabaddi began with a total of eight clubs. The following are the eight teams:
- Bengal Warriors
- Bengaluru Bulls
- Dabang Delhi KC
- Jaipur Pink Panthers
- Patna Pirates
- Puneri Paltan
- Telugu Titans
- U Mumba
In addition, the PKL modified its format and divided the teams into two categories known as zones. These four new teams are as follows:
- Gujarat Giants
- Haryana Steelers
- Tamil Thalaivas
- UP Yoddha
PKL Highlights of All Seasons (1-10): Pro Kabaddi League Background
PKL Season 1 Winner and Runner-up in 2014
This inaugural season takes place in 2014, with a total of eight teams competing for the title of Pro Kabaddi champion. The final is between the Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba. The last match ended with a score of 35-24. Jaipur Pink Panthers defeated U Mumba by a score of 11 to become the first Pro Kabaddi champion.
PKL Season 2 Winners and Runners-up in 2015
The second season of the Pro Kabaddi League was held in 2015, with eight clubs competing for the Pro Kabaddi Championship. The final was contested by U Mumba and Bengaluru Bulls. The final match ended with a score of 36-30. U Mumba defeated Bengaluru Bulls by a score of 6 to win the Pro Kabaddi title for the first time.
PKL Season 3 Winners and Runners-Up of 2016
Pro Kabaddi Season 3 was held in 2016, with a total of eight teams contending for the title of PKL champion. The final was contested by Patna Pirates and U Mumba. The final match resulted in a score of 31-28. Patna Pirates defeated U Mumba.
PKL Season 4 Winner and Runner-up in 2014
PKL season 4 was also held in 2016, with a total of eight teams competing for the Pro Kabaddi Championship. The final was contested by Patna Pirates and Jaipur Pink Panthers. The final score was 37-29. Patna Pirates defeated Jaipur Pink Panthers by an 8-point margin.
PKL Season 5 Winners and Runners-up in 2017
Season 5 of Pro Kabaddi takes place in 2017, with a total of twelve teams competing for the title of PKL champion. Four new teams were introduced this season. The final was contested between Patna Pirates and Gujarat Fortune Giants.
The final score was 55-38. Patna Pirates defeated Gujarat Fortune Giants by a score of 17 to win the PKL for the third time. Gujarat Fortune Giants finished second in season 5.
PKL Season 6 Winners and Runners-Up in 2018
The sixth season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) takes place in 2018, with a total of twelve teams fighting for the title of Pro Kabaddi champion. The final takes place between the Bengaluru Bulls and the Gujarat Fortune Giants. The final score was 38-33.
Bengaluru Bulls defeated Gujarat Fortune Giants by a score of 5 and won the Pro Kabaddi League for the first time.
PKL Season 7 Winners and Runners-Up in 2019
Season 7 of the Pro Kabaddi League takes place in 2019, with a total of twelve teams competing for the PKL title. Bengal Warriors and Dabang Delhi met in the final. The final match ended with a score of 39-34.
Bengal Warriors defeated Dabang Delhi by a score of 5 to win the PKL title for the first time. Dabang Delhi was thus the season 7 runner-up.
PKL Season 8 Winners and Runners-Up in 2020
Dabang Delhi K.C. won their first PKL title in Season 8 when they defeated Patna Pirates 37-36 to become the league’s sixth champion. The Season 8 final saw the smallest margin of victory in a PKL final,
PKL Season 9 Winners and Runners-Up in 2021
Jaipur Pink Panthers won Pro Kabaddi 2022, while Puneri Paltan was the runner-up.
Season 9 of the PKL takes place in 2022, with all twelve franchises taking part. The final match ended with a score of 33-29. Jaipur Pink Panthers defeated Puneri Paltan by a score of 4 to win the Pro Kabaddi League for the first time.
