PBL 2018: Scottish badminton star Kristy Gilmour excited about playing in India

What's the story?

Scottish badminton sensation Kirsty Gilmour expressed her delight at the opportunity of travelling to India, to play in the Premier Badminton League (PBL), which is set to get underway later this month.

In Case You Didn't Know

Gilmour has had a couple of wins under her belt, namely 2015 Scottish Open and the 2013 Dutch Open. She has also won 10 BWF International Challenges/Series. She has also won a silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The Heart of the Matter

Gilmour was bought for a sum of £38,000 by the Bengaluru Blasters, in a deal that is set to be hugely beneficial to her on the financial front. Scotland's number one now has a chance to train and compete with the world's best players.

Speaking about the move to PBL, Gilmour said to BBC, "This is the third year for the Indian league. If the first two years are anything to go by, badminton in India is huge, it's so well run. The players are treated so well."

She also expressed her excitement at having to travel around different cities in the country, during the tournament.

"We'll travel around five different cities in India over the next few weeks so it's going to be incredible - they get huge crowds in and it's such a spectacle," said Gilmour.

The Scot will be joining the likes of men's singles world champion Viktor Axelsen at the Bengaluru Blasters. Gilmour is delighted to share the court with some of badminton's biggest names.

What's next?

The Premier Badminton League will begin on the 23d of December. There are 6 teams participating in the league -- Delhi Acers, Awadhe Warriors, Mumbai Rockets, Hyderabad Hunters, Chennai Smashers and Bengaluru Blasters.

Sportskeeda's Take

With so many big names like Viktor Axelsen, Kidambi Srikanth, Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu and others, it will be a league to watch out for. It is a rare sight to see so many stars from the shuttle sport taking the court at the same, time, and it would be interesting to see what they can serve-up for the fans during the tournament.