Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: Baahubali star Prabhas to join Telugu Titans as brand ambassador, according to sources

Rahul Chaudhari will lead the Telugu team in Season 5

The fifth edition of the Pro Kabaddi League is all set to begin next month and promises to be bigger and better than ever. It will feature four new teams this season, taking the total number to 12, and in the process, making the competition the biggest of its kind in India in terms of geographical coverage and duration.

In its last four editions, it has captured the imagination of the audience across the country and has made kabaddi the second-most popular sport behind cricket. Once considered to be a solely rural sport, its mania has now swept across the nation and has made top players household names.

One such example is of raider Rahul Chaudhari, who has often been billed as the poster boy of Indian kabaddi, and has become a highly renowned figure. Leading the Telugu Titans for the fifth season running, he is highly popular among fans who affectionately call him ‘Baahubali’.

Related: Pro Kabaddi League Season 5 auction: Rahul Chaudhari reveals which player inspired him to play kabaddi

This season, he will not be the only ‘Baahubali’ who will be associated with the Titans, according to sources. After Rana Dagubatti was signed up as an ambassador for the league last year, he will be joined by his on-screen brother Prabhas in an ambassadorial role.

Prabhas is a veteran actor and an extremely popular figure in Telugu cinema, and will be a welcome addition to the league as the new season is about to get underway. After the record-breaking success of Bahubali 2: The Conclusion, which became the first Indian film to cross the Rs 1000-crore collection mark, the 37-year-old has become an icon across the nation and will thus be a perfect addition to the Titans.

The Telugu Titans have set up a formidable squad after the auction last month and will look to win the title this year around, something that has eluded them in the past four seasons. They will be led on the mat by Rahul Chaudhari, who was retained before the auctions and received a sum of Rs 53.90 lakh, thanks to the dynamic pricing system.

From the pool of players under the hammer, the team picked up some hugely talented players in the form of veteran all-rounder Rakesh Kumar (Rs 45 lakhs), defenders Rohit Rana (Rs 27.50 lakhs) and Vinod Kumar (Rs 44.50 lakhs) along with raider Nilesh Salunke (Rs 49 lakhs).

The new edition of the Pro Kabaddi League promises to be a thrilling one and fans all over India are excited for it. Here’s hoping it exceeds expectations and helps the sport’s popularity reach greater heights.