Indian cricketing legend and batting great Sourav Ganguly is set to become the latest celebrity to join the Pro Kabaddi bandwagon as he has expressed interest in becoming a co-owner of the Bengal Warriors. According to sources close to Sportskeeda, the former Indian team captain has approached the Warriors management in order to purchase a stake in the Kolkata side.
The Pro Kabaddi League has taken Indian sport by storm in the last few years, capturing the imagination of audiences across India and in just four seasons, it has become the second-most popular sport in the country. Kabaddi stars such as Anup Kumar, Manjeet Chhillar, Rahul Chaudhari and Ajay Thakur have become household names and as evident in the recently concluded auction for Season 5, they are earning huge sums of money as compared to before.
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Related: Bengal Warriors team players for Pro Kabaddi 2017, Season 5
As a result of this sudden boom, many business houses and celebrities are showing considerable interest in buying Pro Kabaddi teams. The new season will have four new teams added to its ranks from Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Tamil Nadu, which are owned by the Adani Group, JSW Group, GMR Group and a partnership between cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar and entrepreneur N. Prasad respectively.
The side from Bengal are currently owned by the Kishore Biyani-led Future Group, who also have their roots in the city of Kolkata. If the deal takes place, this will be Sourav Ganguly’s second venture into owning a franchise in a popular sports league. He is also the co-owner of the Atletico de Kolkata franchise, who are two-time and defending champions of the Indian Super League and have a partnership with European powerhouse Atletico Madrid.
The Bengal Warriors have a strong squad set up for the upcoming season, with some strong defenders and raiders in their ranks. South Korean import and raider Jang Kun Lee was retained by the Warriors for a whopping sum of Rs 80.3 lakhs, with Maninder Singh and Deepak Narwal being bought by the team at the auction for Rs 45.50 lakhs and Rs 25.50 lakhs respectively.
Also in the side are right-cover defender Surjeet Singh, who was bought for Rs 73 lakhs and all-rounder Ran Singh, signed for a sum of Rs 47.50 lakhs. The Bengal Warriors are yet to win a Pro Kabaddi title in the last four seasons but this season, they are strong contenders for the trophy.
Related: Pro Kabaddi 2017, season 5: List of all the team owners
