Kabaddi news: Which team has the most fans this season?

Dabang Delhi is looking to defend their title, while Patna Pirates are keen on re-establishing their lost glory. Despite missing out on the title for the last three seasons, the most successful club in the league is anticipating an improved season. 

Devoted franchise fans following them through their best and worst days have rendered Patna Pirates one of the most loved teams in the league. 

Here are the teams with the highest fans ahead of the new season of PKL!

Bengaluru Bulls

Bengaluru Bulls (BGB) were the title holders in season six and are widely known for their raider Pawan Sehrawat, who was not retained for the upcoming season. 

They were the runner-up to U Mumba in 2015 and were semi-finalists in the inaugural 2014 edition. Under the leadership of coach Randhir Singh, they were overall good performers last season. 

They scored 534 raid points in 24 matches which was the highest for any team last season. Pawan Sehrawat came out as the top raider in the franchise with 304 raid points, followed by Bharat, who clinched 115 raid points. 

Without Pawan Sehrawat to lead them, the franchise would be at a stage in their league journey. Vikash Kandola has replaced him, and the raider is expected to deliver a stellar performance. 

Undoubtedly the most popular franchise in the league, Bengaluru Bulls, has a whopping 414k followers on Instagram. 

Patna Pirates

Patna Pirates are the only team in the league to play 100 matches. Their popularity is attributed to star raider Pardeep Narwal, affectionately called Dubki King, who is one of the most successful raiders in PKL.

They were the consecutive winners of the third, fourth and fifth seasons. They were runners-up to Dabang Delhi, who defeated them by a narrow margin and claimed the title last year.

The improved squad now has Sachin Tanwar and Rohit Gulia in the team, apart from recent entry Sukesh Hegde. They focus on improving their fitness this year under Ravi Shetty's tutelage. 

They haven't made significant changes to their defence and are expected to deliver a top-notch performance like their eighth season run. The defenders who made a difference last season are expected to perform in the upcoming edition. 

Despite being inconsistent, they still have a massive fan circle making them the second most popular team in the league. 

U Mumba

U Mumba, the winners of the second season of the PKL, are still searching for their second title. Fans still believe in the Maharashtrian outfit that advanced to the first three finals of PKL. 

However, they only managed to secure 55 points from 22 matches and finished 10th in the league stage standings of the last edition. They recorded their lowest game points tally ever since the expansion in 2017.

They could have entered the knockout stages, but skipper Fazel and the boys conceded all their final four league games and were eliminated. This year, they will pin their hopes on Gurman Singh, who was snapped up for INR 1.21 crores.