The final was a showcase of elite kabaddi at its finest. Dabang Delhi, led by captain Ashu Malik and bolstered by match-winning contributions from Ajinkya Pawar and Neeraj Narwal, overcame a Puneri Paltan side that had been the most consistent team during the league stage, topping the standings with a superior points difference. The result was a testament to Dabang Delhi’s big-match temperament and the electric atmosphere created by the Delhi faithful.

The Final: A Rollercoaster of Raids and Tackles

The match started at a frenetic pace. Puneri Paltan, who had arrived in the final as marginal favourites based on their league-stage dominance (88 points difference compared to Delhi’s 38), scored the first raid point through their star raider. However, Dabang Delhi’s defence, which had been the foundation of their playoff run, responded immediately with a strong tackle to level the scores.

By halftime, Dabang Delhi held a slender 16-14 lead. Ashu Malik, who had been the heartbeat of Delhi’s campaign throughout the season, was in outstanding form — combining his trademark agility with intelligent raid strategies that repeatedly exposed gaps in Paltan’s defensive formation. The evolution of the PKL into a tactically sophisticated league was on full display, with both teams employing zone defence and do-or-die raid strategies that would have been unthinkable in the competition’s early seasons.

The second half was a nerve-shredding affair. Puneri Paltan clawed back to within one point at 24-23 with 10 minutes remaining, sparking anxiety among the home supporters. But a decisive moment arrived when Ajinkya Pawar executed a stunning multi-point raid — earning a touch on two defenders and a bonus point — to give Delhi a 27-23 cushion that they would not relinquish.

Ashu Malik: The Season’s Defining Player

The PKL Season 12 belonged, in many ways, to Ashu Malik. The 24-year-old raider, who was acquired by Dabang Delhi at the Season 12 auction in June 2025 — a high-profile event where 529 players went under the hammer and 121 were sold — justified his premium price tag with a series of match-winning performances. His total of over 200 raid points during the season placed him among the top raiders in PKL history, while his ability to score in pressure moments set him apart from his peers.

The Indian sporting landscape in 2026 is increasingly shaped by franchise-based leagues, and Malik’s journey from a small-town kabaddi mat to PKL stardom mirrors the aspirational narrative that has powered the league’s growth. His combination of athletic ability, tactical intelligence, and crowd-pleasing flair has drawn comparisons with legendary raider Pardeep Narwal, who revolutionised the raider’s role in earlier PKL seasons.

PKL Season 12: Records, Format Changes, and Growth

Season 12 introduced several significant changes that shaped the competition. The revamped format included tiebreakers for the first time, a shortened league stage designed to increase the intensity of every match, and an expanded eight-team playoff bracket. These changes, implemented by the PKL’s organising committee in consultation with team owners and broadcasters, were widely praised for making the competition more unpredictable and viewer-friendly.

The season was played across four host cities — Delhi, Chennai, Jaipur, and Hyderabad — with each city hosting a leg of the tournament. Attendance figures showed growth across all four venues, with the Delhi leg benefiting from Dabang Delhi’s home-ground advantage in the latter stages. The model of multi-city hosting, also employed successfully by the Hockey India League, has become a standard feature of Indian franchise leagues.

The statistics from Season 12 underscore the quality of competition. Across 117 matches, raiders accumulated 4,834 raid points and achieved 170 Super 10s. The tackle charts were equally impressive, with 2,440 tackle points, 223 High 5s, and 73 Super Tackles recorded. Iranian all-rounder Mohammedreza Shadloui Chiyane, the most expensive signing at the Season 12 auction, lived up to his billing with dominant performances in both raiding and defence.

Indian Railways Dominate Senior Nationals

While the PKL commands the spotlight, the grassroots kabaddi ecosystem also delivered memorable moments in 2026. Indian Railways won the 72nd Senior Men’s National Kabaddi Championship, defeating Maharashtra by 18 points in a one-sided final. Railways’ dominance at the national level — they have won the title more times than any other team — reflects the continued importance of institutional support in nurturing kabaddi talent outside the franchise system.

The national championship serves as a crucial talent pipeline for the PKL, with several players who impressed at the senior nationals subsequently earning auction contracts. The interplay between the franchise league and the traditional tournament circuit is a distinctive feature of India’s sporting ecosystem, paralleling the relationship between the IPL and domestic cricket.

What Lies Ahead: PKL Season 13 and Beyond

With Season 12 concluded, attention has already turned to PKL Season 13. The auction for the upcoming season is expected to take place in mid-2026, with speculation mounting about potential franchise expansions and format adjustments. The league’s television and digital viewership continues to grow, and the addition of the tiebreaker format in Season 12 is expected to be retained and refined for Season 13.

For Dabang Delhi, the challenge is to build on their championship success and establish a dynasty. For Puneri Paltan, the narrow final defeat will serve as motivation. And for kabaddi itself, a sport that was once considered a rural pastime and is now a multi-million-dollar professional enterprise, the trajectory is unmistakably upward.

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PKL Stars Form the Core of the Camp

Several marquee Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) names were part of the men’s contingent. Naveen Kumar, Arjun Deshwal, Pawan Sehrawat, Aslam Inamdar, Sunil Kumar, Ashu Malik and Bharat Hooda trained alongside emerging athletes identified through recent national championships. Their presence in the camp reflects the depth of talent that the kabaddi ecosystem has built through the PKL.

The women’s squad included members of the Indian team that won the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup, led by captain Ritu Negi. Sonali Vishnu Shingate, Pushpa Rana, Champa Thakur, Pinki Roy, Priya and Karthika R were among the attendees. AKFI President Vipul Vineet Jain described the initiative as “a crucial move to elevate the standard of Indian kabaddi.”

Modern Training Methods at World-Class Facility

The Inspire Institute of Sport, a 42-acre facility in Bellary, provided athletes with access to sports science labs, recovery centres and data-driven training tools. The camp focused on improving explosive power, aerobic capacity and injury prevention using modern strength and conditioning protocols. Coaches integrated GPS tracking and load management systems during practice sessions to optimise athlete workloads, reinforcing India’s growing commitment to evidence-based sports science.

The partnership between AKFI and Mashal Sports — the organisers of the PKL — is intended to bridge the gap between franchise-level preparation and national-team readiness. PKL franchises have historically employed international S&C coaches, and the camp aimed to standardise those methods across the national programme.

Asian Games 2026: India Seeks to Defend Dominance

India has won gold in kabaddi at every Asian Games since the sport’s inclusion in 1990, a streak the federation is determined to maintain in Nagoya. The camp is the first of several planned by AKFI, with a longer residential camp expected in June once the 72nd Senior Nationals conclude.

The Senior Nationals, recently held in Vadodara, were won by Indian Railways in the men’s category, beating Maharashtra by 18 points in the final. The tournament provided the latest form guide for national selectors building the Asian Games squad.

India’s multi-sport Asian Games preparations continue across disciplines, with India winning five medals at the Asian Wrestling Championships and the ESFI selecting its Asian Games esports squad. The kabaddi camp represents another piece of an increasingly coordinated national effort. PKL Season 12’s viewership records and international expansion suggest the sport’s fan base and commercial infrastructure are growing in tandem with on-field ambitions.

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The numbers confirm kabaddi’s position as India’s second-most-watched professional sport after cricket, surpassing both football and hockey in regular-season engagement. The growth has been fuelled by a combination of star power, tactical evolution and strategic media partnerships that have transformed PKL from a niche domestic product into a commercially viable international property. The rise mirrors what we are seeing with ISL 2026 and Indian football’s growing ambitions, where Indian professional sports leagues are achieving new levels of commercial sophistication.

Season 12 Highlights: Pawan Sehrawat Leads Record-Breaking Campaign

The standout performer of Season 12 has been Pawan Sehrawat of the Tamil Thalaivas, who is on course to set the all-time record for most raid points in a single season. Through 18 matches, Sehrawat has accumulated 287 raid points, putting him on pace to surpass the existing record of 305 set by Pardeep Narwal in Season 5.

Sehrawat’s combination of speed, agility and power has made him the most watchable athlete in the league. His record auction price of Rs 2.26 crore — the highest in PKL history — looks like a bargain given his impact. Television ratings spike by an average of 22 per cent for matches involving the Tamil Thalaivas, according to data from the Broadcast Audience Research Council.

Other standout performers include Iranian raider Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh of the Patna Pirates, whose defensive prowess has anchored the league’s best defence, and young Indian raider Sachin Tanwar of the Haryana Steelers, whose athleticism has drawn comparisons to Sehrawat. The season has also seen the emergence of Aslam Inamdar as a complete all-rounder for the Puneri Paltan.

International Expansion Opens New Revenue Streams

PKL’s most significant development in 2026 is its international expansion strategy. Mashal Sports has signed broadcast agreements with OSN for the Middle East, Astro for Malaysia, and Willow TV for North America. These deals collectively add Rs 150 crore in annual revenue and expose the sport to large South Asian diaspora populations.

More ambitiously, the league has announced plans for a six-team International Kabaddi League, scheduled to debut in late 2026. Teams from Iran, South Korea, Kenya, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia will compete in a three-week tournament, with matches broadcast alongside PKL content. The initiative aims to develop international participation in the sport ahead of its anticipated inclusion in the 2030 Asian Games programme.

The international play mirrors global expansion patterns across Indian sports, as seen in how India hockey attracting record investment after Olympic success. Kabaddi’s inclusion in the Asian Games since 1990 gives it an institutional foundation that other Indian sports lack.

Streaming and Fantasy Drive Fan Engagement

Digital viewership has been the primary growth driver for PKL Season 12. JioStar’s streaming platform delivered an average of 15 million concurrent viewers for primetime matches, a 45 per cent increase over Season 11. The platform’s interactive features, including real-time tactical analysis overlays and multi-camera angle selection, have enhanced the viewing experience.

Fantasy kabaddi has also exploded. Dream11 reports that PKL is now its second-largest fantasy sport by contest volume, behind only IPL cricket. Over 40 million users created PKL fantasy teams during Season 12, with total prize pools exceeding Rs 200 crore. The fantasy integration drives deeper engagement: users who play fantasy kabaddi watch an average of 2.3 matches per week compared to 0.8 for non-fantasy viewers.

This echoes the broader trend of streaming platforms battling for India’s massive sports audience, where digital platforms are increasingly determining the commercial success of live sports properties. The competition for streaming rights has become as fierce in kabaddi as it is across all the entertainment and media news categories.

Women’s Kabaddi Gets Professional Platform

Season 12 has also seen the launch of the Women’s Pro Kabaddi League as a parallel competition. Eight franchises, aligned with the men’s teams, field women’s squads that play preceding matches in a double-header format. The initiative follows the success of the Women’s Premier League in cricket and aims to provide professional opportunities for female kabaddi players.

The response has been encouraging. Average television viewership for women’s matches reached 8 million in the opening week, exceeding organisers’ targets by 60 per cent. Top women’s players including Priyanka Negi, Sonali Shingate and Ritu Negi have signed contracts worth Rs 15 to 30 lakh, a significant increase from the Rs 2 to 5 lakh they earned through national team programmes.

Sponsorship has followed. Tata Group signed on as the women’s league title sponsor at Rs 50 crore over three years, while Kellogg’s, PhonePe and Dream11 have committed individual franchise sponsorships. Read the latest Indian sports league updates for more on how Indian sports leagues are professionalising across genders and disciplines.

The Road to Global Recognition

PKL’s commercial success has strengthened the campaign for kabaddi’s inclusion in the Olympic programme. The International Kabaddi Federation, which now has 47 member nations, has submitted a formal application to the International Olympic Committee for consideration in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. While the bid faces stiff competition from other sports, PKL’s viewership numbers and commercial viability provide compelling evidence of global interest.

For now, the focus remains on sustaining domestic momentum. PKL Season 12 concludes in April 2026 with the finals scheduled for Bengaluru’s Kanteerava Indoor Stadium. With record audiences, rising player salaries and an expanding international footprint, kabaddi’s transformation from a village sport to a billion-dollar entertainment property is one of the most remarkable stories in Indian sports history.

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