Introduced in 2014, the Pro Kabaddi League is the premier franchise-based kabaddi league in the world, featuring both Indian and international talents on the mat.
The tournament began as an eight-team competition but gradually evolved to 12 teams by Season 5. So far, PKL has completed 10 editions and is played in a double round-robin and playoffs format.
In the current format, each team plays 22 league stage matches after which the top six teams make the playoffs. The first and second-ranked teams directly make the semi-finals while the teams placed third to sixth compete in playoff matches for a semi-final berth. The semi-final winners advance to the final.
Patna Pirates, notably, are the most successful Pro Kabaddi team with three titles, winning the third, fourth, and fifth editions.
The Pirates, headlined by ace raider Pardeep Narwal, pipped U Mumba to win their maiden PKL title in Season 3, followed by beating Jaipur Pink Panthers and Gujarat Giants in the Season 4 and Season 5 finals, respectively.
Meanwhile, Jaipur Pink Panthers, the inaugural PKL champions, are two-time winners following their triumph over Puneri Paltan in the Season 9 final. The Paltan, however, bounced back to win the Pro Kabaddi title in Season 10, the latest edition of the Kabaddi competition.
U Mumba (Season 2), Bengaluru Bulls (Season 6), Bengal Warriors (Season 7), and Dabang Delhi K.C. (Season 9) have also won the Pro Kabaddi League once each.
Incidentally, Gujarat Giants and Haryana Steelers are the only teams to have made the PKL final but have not won the tournament to date. The Giants lost to Patna Pirates in Season 5 and Bengaluru Bulls in Season 6 while the Steelers were upstaged by Puneri Paltan in Season 10.
Here’s the full list of teams who have won the Pro Kabaddi League.
Pro Kabaddi winners list
Edition | Champions | Runners-up |
Season 1 | Jaipur Pink Panthers | U Mumba |
Season 2 | U Mumba | Bengaluru Bulls |
Season 3 | Patna Pirates | U Mumba |
Season 4 | Patna Pirates | Jaipur Pink Panthers |
Season 5 | Patna Pirates | Gujarat Giants |
Season 6 | Bengaluru Bulls | Gujarat Giants |
Season 7 | Bengal Warriors | Dabang Delhi K.C. |
Season 8 | Dabang Delhi K.C. | Patna Pirates |
Season 9 | Jaipur Pink Panthers | Puneri Paltan |
Season 10 | Puneri Paltan | Haryana Steelers |
