PKL Teams 2026: All 12 Pro Kabaddi Teams, Titles, Squads and Season 13 Guide
There are 12 PKL teams in the Pro Kabaddi League, and all 12 are set to return for Season 13. They range from Patna Pirates, the only franchise to win three titles in a row, to Tamil Thalaivas, Gujarat Giants, Telugu Titans and UP Yoddhas, who are still chasing their first trophy. This page brings every franchise together in one place: home cities, titles, finals, Season 12 results, star players, coaching changes and what each team needs before Season 13 begins.
PKL Teams 2026: Quick Answer
The 12 PKL teams for Season 13 are Bengal Warriorz, Bengaluru Bulls, Dabang Delhi K.C., Gujarat Giants, Haryana Steelers, Jaipur Pink Panthers, Patna Pirates, Puneri Paltan, Tamil Thalaivas, Telugu Titans, U Mumba and UP Yoddhas. Dabang Delhi K.C. are the defending champions after beating Puneri Paltan 31-28 in the Season 12 final on October 31, 2025. No new franchises have been added and none have left the league.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Number of PKL teams | 12 |
| Original teams (Season 1, 2014) | 8 |
| Teams added in Season 5 (2017) | 4 (Gujarat, Haryana, Tamil Thalaivas, UP Yoddhas) |
| Defending champions | Dabang Delhi K.C. |
| Most successful team | Patna Pirates (3 titles) |
| Teams without a title | 4 (Gujarat Giants, Tamil Thalaivas, Telugu Titans, UP Yoddhas) |
| Organiser | Mashal Sports |
| Governing body | Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) |
All 12 PKL Teams at a Glance
The table below lists every franchise with its home city, title count, number of finals and Season 12 league finish.
| Team | Home City | Titles | Finals Played | Season 12 Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patna Pirates | Patna | 3 | 5 | 7th, reached Eliminator 3 |
| Dabang Delhi K.C. | Delhi | 2 | 3 | 2nd, champions |
| Jaipur Pink Panthers | Jaipur | 2 | 3 | 8th, reached Eliminator 1 |
| Puneri Paltan | Pune | 1 | 3 | 1st, runners-up |
| U Mumba | Mumbai | 1 | 3 | 6th, lost in the Play-ins |
| Bengaluru Bulls | Bengaluru | 1 | 2 | 3rd, lost in Eliminator 2 |
| Haryana Steelers | Haryana | 1 | 2 | 5th, lost in the Play-ins |
| Bengal Warriorz | Kolkata | 1 | 1 | 12th |
| Gujarat Giants | Ahmedabad | 0 | 2 | 11th |
| Telugu Titans | Hyderabad | 0 | 0 | 4th, reached Qualifier 2 |
| Tamil Thalaivas | Chennai | 0 | 0 | 10th |
| UP Yoddhas | Lucknow | 0 | 0 | 9th |
Gujarat Giants reached two finals under their earlier name, Gujarat Fortune Giants, losing to Patna Pirates in Season 5 and Bengaluru Bulls in Season 6.
PKL Teams Ranked by Titles
Only eight of the 12 PKL teams have won the championship. Here is how the title count looks after twelve seasons.
| Rank | Team | Titles | Winning Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patna Pirates | 3 | Seasons 3, 4, 5 |
| 2 | Dabang Delhi K.C. | 2 | Seasons 8, 12 |
| 2 | Jaipur Pink Panthers | 2 | Seasons 1, 9 |
| 4 | U Mumba | 1 | Season 2 |
| 4 | Bengaluru Bulls | 1 | Season 6 |
| 4 | Bengal Warriorz | 1 | Season 7 |
| 4 | Puneri Paltan | 1 | Season 10 |
| 4 | Haryana Steelers | 1 | Season 11 |
For the full list of every final, score and runner-up, see our PKL winners list.
PKL Teams Season 12 Standings
Season 12 is the most recent guide to how strong each franchise is heading into Season 13. Every team played 18 league matches, with two points for a win.
| Pos | Team | W | L | Score Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Puneri Paltan | 13 | 5 | +88 | 26 |
| 2 | Dabang Delhi K.C. | 13 | 5 | +38 | 26 |
| 3 | Bengaluru Bulls | 11 | 7 | +97 | 22 |
| 4 | Telugu Titans | 10 | 8 | +45 | 20 |
| 5 | Haryana Steelers | 10 | 8 | +40 | 20 |
| 6 | U Mumba | 10 | 8 | +8 | 20 |
| 7 | Patna Pirates | 8 | 10 | +10 | 16 |
| 8 | Jaipur Pink Panthers | 8 | 10 | -48 | 16 |
| 9 | UP Yoddhas | 7 | 11 | -65 | 14 |
| 10 | Tamil Thalaivas | 6 | 12 | -36 | 12 |
| 11 | Gujarat Giants | 6 | 12 | -73 | 12 |
| 12 | Bengal Warriorz | 6 | 12 | -104 | 12 |
The top eight reached the expanded postseason. The live Season 13 table will appear on our PKL points table once matches begin.
PKL Teams: Franchise-by-Franchise Guide
Each profile below covers the team’s history, its Season 12 story and the key question for Season 13.
Bengal Warriorz
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Home city | Kolkata |
| Title | Season 7 (beat Dabang Delhi K.C. 39-34) |
| Season 12 | 12th, 6 wins |
| Star player | Devank Dalal (271 raid points, signed for INR 2.205 crore) |
Bengal won their only title in Season 7 and made a huge statement at the Season 12 auction by signing Devank Dalal, the highest-paid Indian player of that auction. Devank finished second in the league for raid points with 271 and had the best average of any raider at 16.94 points per match. The team still finished last, so Season 13 is about building a defence that matches its attack. Full player details are in our Bengal Warriorz squad guide.
Bengaluru Bulls
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Home city | Bengaluru |
| Title | Season 6 (beat Gujarat Fortune Giants 38-33) |
| Season 12 | 3rd, 11 wins, best score difference (+97) |
| Star player | Alireza Mirzaeian (197 raid points) |
The Bulls rebuilt almost completely before Season 12, keeping only four players, and finished third with the league’s best score difference. Two playoff defeats ended the season early. Randhir Singh Sehrawat, who coached the Bulls from Season 1 to Season 11, has now moved to Gujarat Giants. See the full roster in our Bengaluru Bulls squad post.
Dabang Delhi K.C.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Home city | Delhi |
| Titles | Season 8 and Season 12 |
| Season 12 | 2nd, 13 wins, champions |
| Star players | Ashu Malik, Fazel Atrachali (Season 12 MVP) |
Delhi won their second title in Season 12, beating Puneri Paltan 31-28 in the final at Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium. They used a two-season Final Bid Match card to keep raider Ashu Malik for INR 1.90 crore, so he is already contracted for Season 13. Iranian defender Fazel Atrachali, bought at his base price of INR 30 lakh, was named Most Valuable Player.
Gujarat Giants
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Home city | Ahmedabad |
| Best finish | Runners-up in Seasons 5 and 6 |
| Season 12 | 11th, 6 wins |
| Season 13 head coach | Randhir Singh Sehrawat |
Gujarat paid INR 2.23 crore for Mohammadreza Shadloui, the most expensive player of the Season 12 auction, but finished 11th. They have appointed Randhir Singh Sehrawat, the coach who won Bengaluru’s only title, to lead them in Season 13.
Haryana Steelers
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Home | Haryana |
| Title | Season 11 (beat Patna Pirates 32-23) |
| Season 12 | 5th, 10 wins |
| Star player | Jaideep Dahiya (68 tackle points, 13 super tackles) |
Haryana entered Season 12 as defending champions and kept their title-winning core, then added Naveen Kumar for INR 1.20 crore. Captain Jaideep Dahiya had the second-most tackle points in the league and the most super tackles. A Play-in defeat to Jaipur ended their run.
Jaipur Pink Panthers
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Home city | Jaipur |
| Titles | Season 1 and Season 9 |
| Season 12 | 8th, 8 wins |
| Big signing | Nitin Kumar Dhankhar (INR 1.002 crore) |
Jaipur won the very first PKL title in 2014 and a second in Season 9. In Season 12, they beat Haryana 30-27 in Play-in 1 before losing 48-32 to Patna in Eliminator 1.
Patna Pirates
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Home city | Patna |
| Titles | Seasons 3, 4 and 5 |
| Season 12 | 7th, reached Eliminator 3 |
| Season 13 head coach | Jasveer Singh |
The most successful of all PKL teams had the league’s top raider, Ayan Lohchab with 316 raid points, and top defender, Navdeep with 73 tackle points, in Season 12. They climbed from seventh place to Eliminator 3 before Telugu Titans stopped them. More in our Patna Pirates squad guide.
Puneri Paltan
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Home city | Pune |
| Title | Season 10 (beat Haryana Steelers 28-25) |
| Season 12 | 1st, 13 wins, runners-up |
| Captain | Aslam Inamdar |
Pune topped the Season 12 table with a +88 score difference and reached the final, losing 31-28 to Delhi. Their core of Aditya Shinde, Pankaj Mohite, Gaurav Khatri and Aslam Inamdar makes them one of the strongest PKL teams going into Season 13.
Tamil Thalaivas
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Home city | Chennai |
| Titles | None yet |
| Season 12 | 10th, 6 wins |
| Star players | Arjun Deshwal, Pawan Sehrawat |
Chennai signed Arjun Deshwal and Pawan Sehrawat in the same auction but finished tenth. Young left corner Nitesh Kumar was a bright spot with 65 tackle points. The franchise has already signed two New Young Players for the next two seasons.
Telugu Titans
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Home city | Hyderabad |
| Titles | None yet |
| Season 12 | 4th, reached Qualifier 2 |
| Star player | Bharat Hooda (230 raid points) |
The Titans had their best season in years, beating Bengaluru Bulls and Patna Pirates in the knockouts before losing Qualifier 2 to Puneri Paltan 50-45. All-rounder Bharat Hooda finished third in the league for raid points. Details are in our Telugu Titans squad post.
U Mumba
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Home city | Mumbai |
| Title | Season 2 (beat Bengaluru Bulls 36-30) |
| Season 12 | 6th, 10 wins |
| Captain | Sunil Kumar |
U Mumba reached the first three PKL finals and won one of them. In Season 12, Sandeep Kumar and Ajit Chouhan led the attack while captain Sunil Kumar anchored the defence.
UP Yoddhas
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Home city | Lucknow |
| Titles | None yet |
| Season 12 | 9th, 7 wins |
| Season 13 head coach | Upendra Malik |
UP finished one place outside the postseason. Long-time coach Jasveer Singh left for Patna, and assistant Upendra Malik has been promoted. Young raider Gagana Gowda, with 130 raid points, is the player to build around.
PKL Teams Coaching Changes for Season 13
Three franchises have confirmed new head coaches for Season 13. Other teams are expected to confirm their staff closer to the auction.
| Team | New Head Coach | Background |
|---|---|---|
| Gujarat Giants | Randhir Singh Sehrawat | Bengaluru Bulls head coach, Seasons 1 to 11; won Season 6 |
| Patna Pirates | Jasveer Singh | UP Yoddhas head coach, Seasons 6 to 12 |
| UP Yoddhas | Upendra Malik | Assistant coach at U Mumba, Jaipur and UP since Season 6 |
PKL Teams Star Players: Season 12 Leaders
Every one of the PKL teams has players who decide matches. These were the statistical leaders of Season 12.
| Category | Leader | Team | Figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raid points | Ayan Lohchab | Patna Pirates | 316 |
| Tackle points | Navdeep | Patna Pirates | 73 |
| Super 10s | Ayan Lohchab | Patna Pirates | 16 |
| Super tackles | Jaideep Dahiya | Haryana Steelers | 13 |
| High 5s | Jaideep Dahiya | Haryana Steelers | 7 |
| Raid points per match | Devank Dalal | Bengal Warriorz | 16.94 |
| Most Valuable Player | Fazel Atrachali | Dabang Delhi K.C. | MVP award |
Our PKL records page has the full list of season and all-time leaders.
How PKL Teams Build Their Squads
Every franchise builds its squad in the same way, which keeps the 12 PKL teams on a level playing field.
Retentions
Before the auction, teams keep some players in three categories: Elite Retained Players, Retained Young Players and Existing New Young Players. In Season 12, 83 players were retained in total, and Tamil Thalaivas kept the most with 10.
The Player Auction
Teams then bid for players in four categories, A to D. In Season 12, each franchise had a salary purse of INR 5 crore, and 121 of the 529 players in the pool were sold. The Final Bid Match card lets a team match the winning bid for one of its former players. Our PKL auction hub explains every rule.
New Young Players
Franchises can also sign young players directly outside the auction on two-year deals. Telugu Titans and Tamil Thalaivas have already signed NYPs for Season 13.
PKL Teams and the Caravan Format
Although each franchise represents a city, the PKL teams do not play true home and away seasons. Instead, all 12 travel together to a few host cities, playing a block of matches in each. Season 12 used four legs: Vizag, Jaipur, Chennai and Delhi, with the Delhi leg also hosting the playoffs. When a franchise plays in its own city, it enjoys strong home support, which is why Delhi’s final win at Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium felt so special. Our PKL venues guide covers every host city.
| Season 12 Leg | Host City | Home Team |
|---|---|---|
| Leg 1 | Visakhapatnam | Telugu Titans |
| Leg 2 | Jaipur | Jaipur Pink Panthers |
| Leg 3 | Chennai | Tamil Thalaivas |
| Leg 4 and playoffs | Delhi | Dabang Delhi K.C. |
PKL Teams Biggest Rivalries
Some fixtures always carry extra weight. These rivalries have shaped PKL history.
| Rivalry | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Dabang Delhi K.C. vs Puneri Paltan | Delhi beat Pune twice in the Season 12 playoffs, including the final |
| U Mumba vs Puneri Paltan | The Maharashtra derby |
| Patna Pirates vs Haryana Steelers | Haryana beat Patna in the Season 11 final |
| Dabang Delhi K.C. vs Patna Pirates | Delhi won the Season 8 final 37-36 |
| Jaipur Pink Panthers vs Puneri Paltan | Jaipur beat Pune in the Season 9 final |
Our existing rivalry guides include Dabang Delhi vs Puneri Paltan and Haryana Steelers vs Patna Pirates.
PKL Teams to Watch in Season 13
It is too early for firm predictions before the auction, but Season 12 gives a clear starting point.
Title Favourites
Puneri Paltan and Dabang Delhi K.C. finished level on 26 points and met in the final. Both have strong cores, and Delhi already have Ashu Malik under contract.
Dark Horses
Telugu Titans reached Qualifier 2, and Bengaluru Bulls had the best score difference in the league. Patna Pirates showed in Season 12 that they can win knockout matches from any position.
Teams Under Pressure
Bengal Warriorz, Gujarat Giants and Tamil Thalaivas all spent heavily at the Season 12 auction but finished in the bottom three. Gujarat now have an experienced new coach, while Tamil Thalaivas face big decisions on their star raiders.
PKL Teams: Biggest Season 12 Auction Signings
Every one of the PKL teams made at least one headline move at the Season 12 auction. The table shows each franchise’s most expensive signing, which says a lot about its priorities.
| Team | Biggest Signing | Role | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gujarat Giants | Mohammadreza Shadloui | All-rounder | INR 2.23 crore |
| Bengal Warriorz | Devank Dalal | Raider | INR 2.205 crore |
| Dabang Delhi K.C. | Ashu Malik (FBM) | Raider | INR 1.90 crore |
| Patna Pirates | Ankit Jaglan (FBM) | All-rounder / defender | INR 1.573 crore |
| Tamil Thalaivas | Arjun Deshwal | Raider | INR 1.405 crore |
| Haryana Steelers | Naveen Kumar | Raider | INR 1.20 crore |
| Bengaluru Bulls | Yogesh Dahiya | Defender | INR 1.125 crore |
| UP Yoddhas | Guman Singh | Raider | INR 1.073 crore |
| Jaipur Pink Panthers | Nitin Kumar Dhankhar | Raider | INR 1.002 crore |
| Telugu Titans | Bharat Hooda | All-rounder | INR 81 lakh |
| U Mumba | Aanil Mohan | All-rounder | INR 78 lakh |
| Puneri Paltan | Gurdeep | All-rounder | INR 47.10 lakh |
Notice how spending did not decide results. Puneri Paltan topped the table without a crore-plus signing, while the three biggest spenders on a single player included two teams from the bottom three.
PKL Teams Name Changes
Some PKL teams have changed or adjusted their names over the years. This matters when reading older results and records.
| Earlier Name | Current Name |
|---|---|
| Bengal Warriors | Bengal Warriorz |
| Gujarat Fortune Giants | Gujarat Giants |
| Dabang Delhi | Dabang Delhi K.C. |
| UP Yoddha | UP Yoddhas |
PKL Teams by Region
The league covers most of India’s major regions, which helps it reach a national audience across many languages.
| Region | PKL Teams |
|---|---|
| North | Dabang Delhi K.C., Haryana Steelers, Jaipur Pink Panthers, UP Yoddhas |
| West | U Mumba, Puneri Paltan, Gujarat Giants |
| South | Bengaluru Bulls, Tamil Thalaivas, Telugu Titans |
| East | Bengal Warriorz, Patna Pirates |
Maharashtra is the only state with two franchises, U Mumba and Puneri Paltan, which is why their meetings are known as the Maharashtra derby.
PKL Teams Playoff Record in Season 12
The expanded eight-team postseason in Season 12 gave more PKL teams a chance at the title. Here is how each qualifier fared.
| Team | Entry Point | Exit |
|---|---|---|
| Dabang Delhi K.C. | Qualifier 1 | Champions |
| Puneri Paltan | Qualifier 1 | Runners-up |
| Telugu Titans | Mini-Qualifier | Qualifier 2 |
| Patna Pirates | Play-in 2 | Eliminator 3 |
| Bengaluru Bulls | Mini-Qualifier | Eliminator 2 |
| Jaipur Pink Panthers | Play-in 1 | Eliminator 1 |
| Haryana Steelers | Play-in 1 | Play-in 1 |
| U Mumba | Play-in 2 | Play-in 2 |
The full format is explained in our PKL playoffs schedule guide.
PKL Teams Squad Guides
For detailed rosters, player stats and contract status, each of the PKL teams has its own squad guide on this site. The table below links to every available guide.
| Team | Squad Guide | Team Page |
|---|---|---|
| Bengal Warriorz | Bengal Warriorz squad | Team page |
| Bengaluru Bulls | Bengaluru Bulls squad | Team page |
| Dabang Delhi K.C. | Dabang Delhi K.C. squad | Team page |
| Gujarat Giants | Gujarat Giants squad | Team page |
| Haryana Steelers | Haryana Steelers squad | Team page |
| Jaipur Pink Panthers | Jaipur Pink Panthers squad | Team page |
| Patna Pirates | Patna Pirates squad | Team page |
| Puneri Paltan | Puneri Paltan squad | Team page |
| Tamil Thalaivas | Tamil Thalaivas squad | Team page |
| Telugu Titans | Telugu Titans squad | Team page |
| U Mumba | U Mumba squad | Team page |
| UP Yoddhas | UP Yoddhas squad | Team page |
How to Choose a PKL Team to Support
New fans often ask which of the PKL teams they should follow. There is no wrong answer, but these simple pointers can help.
| If You Want… | Teams to Consider |
|---|---|
| Your home city or state | The franchise from your region |
| History and trophies | Patna Pirates, Dabang Delhi K.C., Jaipur Pink Panthers |
| Current title contenders | Puneri Paltan, Dabang Delhi K.C. |
| Exciting young players | Patna Pirates, UP Yoddhas, U Mumba |
| A rebuild story | Tamil Thalaivas, Gujarat Giants, Bengal Warriorz |
| An underdog chasing a first title | Telugu Titans, UP Yoddhas, Gujarat Giants, Tamil Thalaivas |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many teams are in PKL?
There are 12 teams in the Pro Kabaddi League. All 12 are expected to play in Season 13, with no new teams added.
Which PKL team has won the most titles?
Patna Pirates have won the most titles, with three in Seasons 3, 4 and 5. They are the only team to win back-to-back titles.
Who are the defending PKL champions?
Dabang Delhi K.C. are the defending champions after beating Puneri Paltan 31-28 in the Season 12 final on October 31, 2025.
Which PKL teams have never won the title?
Gujarat Giants, Tamil Thalaivas, Telugu Titans and UP Yoddhas have not won the PKL title yet.
Which were the original PKL teams?
Eight teams played the first season in 2014: Bengal Warriors, Bengaluru Bulls, Dabang Delhi, Jaipur Pink Panthers, Patna Pirates, Puneri Paltan, Telugu Titans and U Mumba. Gujarat, Haryana, Tamil Thalaivas and UP Yoddhas joined in Season 5.
Do PKL teams play home and away matches?
Not in the traditional way. PKL uses a caravan format, where all teams travel to a few host cities and play blocks of matches in each.
Which PKL teams have new coaches for Season 13?
Gujarat Giants (Randhir Singh Sehrawat), Patna Pirates (Jasveer Singh) and UP Yoddhas (Upendra Malik) have confirmed new head coaches.