1xBetSportsBlog » KABADDI » Revamped Pro Kabaddi League 11 Kicks off on October 18
Revamped Pro Kabaddi League 11 Kicks off on October 18

The start of the second decade for the Pro Kabaddi League is set for October 18, symbolizing its growth as India's most popular franchise sport after the IPL. The anticipated PKL 11 sees numerous changes, with updated squads post the August player auctions and several game format alterations.


With the teams thoroughly revamped, whispers suggest a highly competitive Pro Kabaddi season coming our way, a good sign after Puneri Paltan's dominance last year.


The main structural change away from the previous 12-city caravan format, is a move towards a three-legged structure. It starts in Hyderabad (October 18 to November 9), then transitions to Noida (November 10 to December 2), concluding in Pune (December 3 to 24), followed by playoffs and the final in a future-declared location. With almost two games daily, an impressive 137 kabaddi matches promise excitement for the next three months.


A significant shift in team strategies during the auctions involved less reliance on experienced players - all 12 teams filled their New Young Player (NYP) quota, with players like Rahul Chaudhari remaining unsold, and Pardeep Narwhal only bagging ₹70 lakh. Learning from Puneri Paltan's successful model of nurturing their academy products, other franchises have emphasized youth.


Despite the youth focus, hefty amounts were deployed to secure key players, with Tamil Thalaivas scooping up Sachin Tanwar for a staggering ₹2.15 Cr, and Guman Singh going to Gujarat Giants for ₹1.97 Cr. Haryana Steelers didn't hesitate to shell out ₹2.07 Cr for their Iranian star, Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh.


As for championship predictions, the smart money is on last season's finalists. Puneri Paltan retains a solid core including league MVP Aslam Inamdar, Mohit Goyat, Akash Shinde, Pankaj Mohite, Abinesh Nadarajan, Gaurav Khatri, Sanket Sawant, Aditya Shinde, and new raider Ajith Kumar. With a robust lineup that revolutionized raiding and defense tactics, they're a seasoned unit that could potentially make a strong comeback from losing Shadloui. Should they successfully defend their title, they would be the second team to do so, offering coach BC Ramesh his fourth PKL trophy.

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