PKL Teams gear up for Season 3 of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi with refreshed and balanced squads

Star Sports Pro Kabaddi is set to redefine the competition in the sport as the eight franchises announced their squads and players for the upcoming Season 3. One of the most followed sports league in the country, Star Sports Pro Kabaddi, will make its much awaited comeback in January 2016.

The league, which gives the sport of Kabaddi a distinctive contemporary Indian identity; is promoted by Mashal Sports and Star India with the backing of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India and International Kabaddi Federation, will feature a total of 138 players across 8 teams. The teams, which now boast of fresher, fitter and balanced squads, will enhance the quality of action and competition in season 3.

Even as the eight PKL teams enter the last leg of squad finalization, a total of 20 Kabaddi players have already changed teams from Season 2. Last year’s Most Valuable Player of the Tournament, Manjit Chhillar leads the pack with a move to Puneri Paltan from Bengaluru Bulls. Along with him, Ajay Thakur, Rakesh Kumar, Deepak Hudda, Jasmer Singh, Surjeet Narwal, Dharmaraj Cheralathan, Wassim Sajjad, Rajaguru Subramanain have been some of the biggest player movements this season.

At the same time, the teams have also retained some of the star players like Anup Kumar, Kashiling Adake, Ravinder Pahal, Rahul Chaudhari, Sukesh Hegde, Jan Kun Lee, Sandeep Narwal, Tae Deok Eom ensuring strong squads across the eight teams.

The international draft for the third season of Pro Kabaddi League, too has received a strong response from participating franchises, with 24 international players being signed up from 12 countries. The 8-city Kabaddi league will now see new heroes and partnerships emerge as a result of these movements, kick starting the excitement for the upcoming season.

Charu Sharma, Director, Mashal Sports said, "It is extremely gratifying to see that the primary objective of putting the game and its warriors on a proud, visible pedestal has been so quickly achieved. The surprise revelation has been the enthusiasm and deep involvement of all 8 team owners. They have been busy these past few months, rebuilding their teams by luring established stars into their squads. More remarkable is their effort to scour the country for new, young talent. Without question, the new team mantra is to seek greater squad balance between raiders and defenders, even as star all-rounders retain their premium. Season 3 is all set for the closest set of contests yet!"

Star Sports Pro Kabaddi is the only domestic Indian sports league to witness a strong rise in viewership as compared to its inaugural season. The rise in viewership in the second season validates the viewers’ progression from initial curiosity of Season 1 to a deeper level of affinity and engagement with the aspirational avatar of Indian sport of Kabaddi.

With new squads, Season 3 would be all the more bigger and better promising electrifying and action-packed games.