Rising cricket star Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who stunned everyone with his explosive century for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025, is all set to make history in another sport. The 14-year-old batting prodigy will now enter the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), becoming one of the youngest athletes to feature in the league.

The 12th season of PKL kicks off on August 29, coinciding with National Sports Day, at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Visakhapatnam. The opening ceremony will feature legends from multiple sports, including badminton icon Pullela Gopichand, former hockey captain Dhanraj Pillai, kabaddi superstar Pradeep Narwal, and Team India’s U-19 opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who will inaugurate the tournament.

Vaibhav’s Words of Inspiration

Speaking ahead of the event, Vaibhav said:
“National Sports Day reminds me how sports bring everyone together. Sports teach teamwork and discipline. I consider myself lucky to be part of Rajasthan Royals, and I hope more children like me start believing in themselves and playing sports.”

PKL 2025: What’s New This Season

To add more thrill, several changes have been introduced this season:

• No drawn matches – All games will have a result, with tiebreakers in the league stage.

• New play-in stage – Teams ranked 5th to 8th will battle for a spot in the knockouts.

• Direct qualifiers – The top two teams will go straight to the semifinals.

• Matches will be staged across four cities – Visakhapatnam, Jaipur, Chennai, and Delhi.

The opening match will be played between Telugu Titans and Tamil Thalaivas. Defending champions Haryana Steelers, who lifted the PKL 2024 trophy, will also look to continue their dominance.

Match Schedule & Broadcast

• Visakhapatnam, Jaipur, Chennai: Double headers starting at 8:00 pm and 9:00 pm.

• Delhi: Triple headers with three games in a day.

• Live Telecast: Star Sports Network.

• Digital Streaming: Jio Hotstar.