Cricket in India, kabaddi waves are making.
That’s all, that recently in the Tamil Thalavas vs You Mumba match, an unprecedented event – an audience who broke the drama field to please a player – was the first time in the history of the league. This indicates the increasing popularity of sports among viewers across the country.
The Pro Kabaddi League has currently taken the game from the muddy ground of rural India to the throne of the urban drawing room, where, every evening, the audience gets the taste of adrenaline -filled kabaddi action which includes squat thrust and chain tackle.
PKL 2025, currently in Chennai, has introduced a lot of fresh talent. We catch with three players and discover their stories:
Deepak Shankar of Bangalore Bulls | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Deepak Shankar
Bengaluru Bulls
Back hold and ankle grip has highly specific moves in Kabdi. It involves a defender, which catches the back or ankle of a raider to prevent them from moving forward.
Deepak Shankar knows one or two things about these tricks that require exact time, expectation and status. This is being a USP among his colleagues in the ongoing PKL 2025. “Fanfare and promotion for television Kabadi matches a few years ago were low. Now, it is raised, with both players and the number of spectators.
Very much like how cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin chose popularity now Sodakku From the streets of Ball (Carrom Ball) Chennai, Deepak chose these special signatures when he played with his friends in the fields of Kattur village in Tiruchi. “We will not play a lot of cricket in our hometown. My childhood was full of summer playing the role of Kabaddi; it was very funny,” recalls Sportsman who also had good performances in the recent senior national tournaments and youth series.
Although he represents the Bengaluru team at PKL, the fact that he is a local Tamil boy, has drawn a lot of Chennai fans. When the lamp goes out to play, the crowd rings applause, both live and those who go back home. Iranian Kabdi player Fazel Atrachley and cricket superstar Virat Kohli as their inspiration, “Many little boys in my city want to practice with me. I ask them to do as much practice as possible.
Aya elasticity of Patna Pirates | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Ayan Lohchb
Patna pirates
When Ayan Lochb posted a successful debut season in PKL last year, the children came running to him. In Bupania village of Jhanjar district of Haryana, Ayan is a hero for local people who see them playing Kabaddi On television, a sport they were used only to play on the mud court of the village.
Armed with a new young player award from last season, this 20-year-old man is making a head with his raids with this time.
But his journey started back at the mud court. “There was an elderly man – all called him ‘Dadji’ – who used to play us. I used to play to avoid studying mostly in school! Slowly, I started enjoying it,” Ayan, whose family members – looking at their talent in the game – nominated him in Sushil Shastri Academy in Sonipat.
Seeing one of his senior from a nearby village, PKL plays PKL in Nizampur’s-back season, it is very important to do hard practice. “When I was selected, I was actually in Khelo India Youth Games in Indore. I immediately called home and said to my father,” Papa, I have been chosen! “It was a big moment for all of us.”
Ayan, who has recently worked in the railway, is looking to strengthen opportunities in the coming seasons. Kabaddi is for everyone, they say. “Unlike cricket, where you need expensive kits and facilities, Kabdi can be played by anyone, even by a poor child. You all need a ground and perhaps a simple kit. You can also start barefoot on mud. This is a game that is everyone.”
Devank Dayal of Bengal Warrior | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Devank Dayal
Bengal Warries
A few months ago, Devank Dayal became the most expensive Indian signature in PKL with P.2205 crore. He was coming from a record-breaking 301 raid points in the previous season, exactly two years after recovering a dangerous skull injury for life.
Devank, who lived from Sinhapura Kurd in Rohtak, Haryana, had happy tears in his eyes on seeing the dialect. “I only thought: now my financial struggle will end at the end, and I can completely focus on Kabdi. That’s what happened. Money helped my family problems, and now I can play with an independent mind,” he remembers.
That is – in the ongoing leg of PKL, in which he added responsibility as captain. “I believe that the more responsibility you accept, the better you play. Kabaddi is a team game. A man cannot win alone. Only wins unity,” they say.
Twenty -three -year -old Devank started watching kabaddi even before it started playing. “Next, I will help my father, when he was farming and during his free time, I will watch kabaddi game. I will dream one day, I can also play. My Guru.YesI wanted to be like him. Later, when I joined the army, I also took training with him. Now we are like brothers. ,
Devank has big dreams that he wants to achieve; One of which is to play for India in the Asian Games and the World Cup. “My big dream is that kabaddi enters the Olympics, and if it happens, I want to play there too,” they say.
Hold live action from Pro Kabaddi League season 12 running on Gehotstar and Star Sports Network
Published – 07 October, 2025 06:20 PM IST