Pro Kabaddi League 2018: Start date for Season 6 announced
What's the story?
An official release from the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India has confirmed the scheduled date for the commencement of the sixth season of the Pro Kabaddi League as the 19th of October 2018. The format is expected to mirror that of the previous edition with the tournament set to close on the 20th of January 2019.
While the dates of the lucrative league have been announced, local tournaments such as the Federation Cup, the senior national championships' dates are yet to be decided.
In case you didn't know
One of India's most successful sporting leagues, the Pro Kabaddi League has grown over five successful seasons and has given a platform for some of the best Kabaddi talents in the country to shine and make a statement with their style of play.
Patna Pirates is the most successful team with a hat-trick of titles to its name while U Mumba's victory in 2015 sandwiched Jaipur Pink Panthers' inaugural season triumph and Patna's maiden win in 2016.
Heart of the Matter
The auctions ahead of the sixth season saw a lot of headlines being created with ace raider Monu Goyat snapping up a ₹1.51 crore deal with the Haryana Steelers, and with that emerged as the highest paid non-cricket Indian athlete, emulating Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri's ₹1.5 crore deal with Bengaluru FC.
The likes of Rahul Chaudhari (₹1.29 crore), Deepak Niwas Hooda and Nitin Tomar (₹1.15 crore), Rishank Devadiga (₹1.1 crore), and Iranian defence lynchpin Fazel Athrachali (₹1 crore) joined Monu in the illustrious crorepati list which is sure to add some spice to the upcoming edition of the Pro Kabaddi League.
What's Next?
The auctions prior to the commencement of the league have given some teams a chance to re-think their strategies and build their teams and given the movement of some top-flight players to different teams, the upcoming seasons promises to play host to some intense action.
What are your expectations from Pro Kabaddi League Season 6? Will the Patna Pirates win for the fourth time on the trot or will we have a new winner? Do let us know what you think in the comments section below.