Pro Kabaddi League: Ranking all the 12 teams based on their Instagram followers

Instagram has been one of the most popular social networking sites with more than one billion active users, with over 80 million users followers from India. The Pro Kabaddi League is the most followed franchise-based sporting event after the Indian Premier League (IPL), which has attracted a lot of fans who follow the sport of Kabaddi with sheer enthusiasm.

With 12 teams and seven seasons of the league, the interest among the Kabaddi fans for the Pro Kabaddi League has increased by leaps and bounds. All the 12 franchises of the PKL have their own Instagram handles to connect their fans with the team's insights, players and their achievements in the competition.

The level of popularity of a team also depends upon the number of people it has on social media, as such sites play a vital role in publicizing the tournament among the fans. On that perspective, let's rank all the 12 teams of the Pro Kabaddi League based on their Instagram followers.

Note: The followers' count has been taken into consideration as on 19th February 2020.

#12 Haryana Steelers - 80.4k followers

The Haryana-based franchise, Haryana Steelers, have the lowest number of followers on Instagram amongst all 12 teams of the PKL. Even though the fans from Haryana are known for their immense interest in the sport of Kabaddi, Steelers have only amassed 80,400+ followers on Instagram.

One of the key reasons behind this could be the absence of big-match players in the side. Since Haryana Steelers were one among four teams to join the league back in Season 5, their fanbase in comparison to the others has increased at a steady pace.

Haryana Steelers have made it to the playoffs twice (Season 5 & Season 7), but couldn't manage to proceed further as they got knocked out early in both playoffs. In the seventh season, Steelers had found a dependable raiding trio of Vikas Khandola, Prashant Kumar Rai, and Vinay, who led the team towards the playoffs. However, their sudden loss in momentum in the middle and an inconsistent defensive unit led them to crash early in the Qualifier.

Steelers will be hoping to win their first title in the upcoming eighth season, as they will look to start anew by building a formidable squad with all of their areas covered.

#11 Telugu Titans - 80.8k followers

The Hyderabad-based franchise Telugu Titans have the least number of Instagram followers among the first eight teams who joined the league in the inaugural season. Telugu Titans, known for having a star-studded line-up in the past seasons, only have 80,800+ followers on the highly-used site at present.

The team had a sudden dip in their fanbase following the release of the Rahul Chaudhari, after the franchise ran out of patience with him in the seventh season. Along with Puneri Paltan, Telugu Titans is the only team to have never reached a final among the first eight teams which started the league.

In the seventh season, Telugu Titans snapped the 'Bahubali' Siddharth Desai by paying him an enormous amount of 1.45 crores in the auction. Desai performed well in the second half of the season but lacked support in the raiding. The two lethal corners - Abozar Mighani and Vishal Bhardwaj couldn't remain consistent as Titans finished at the 11th position in Season 7.

The focus will remain upon buying a dependable raider for Siddharth Desai for Telugu Titans in the upcoming auction of Season 8, as they would want to build a well-balanced defense and snap experienced offensive unit as well.

#10 UP Yoddha - 81.2k followers

Despite being the only team among the four sides who joined in Season 5, to have qualified for the playoffs, UP Yoddha has only gained 81,200+ followers on Instagram. The Greater Noida-based franchise has performed well in all the three seasons played thus far, but are yet to receive popularity in the social media.

UP Yoddha have shown consistency in their performances in the past three seasons, despite lacking renowned players in their squad. However, the less craze towards the sport among the fans of Greater Noida could be the reason for a lowered popularity of UP Yoddha's social media platform.

Termed as one of the most consistent sides of the seventh season, UP Yoddha banked upon its young players like Shrikant Jadhav and Surender Gill in the raiding, whereas the corner defense of Nitesh Kumar and Sumit. UP Yoddha registered eight wins out of the last ten group-stage fixtures and ended at the third spot in the points table. However, they missed by a little margin 45-48 after drawing the Eliminator 36-36 against Bengaluru Bulls.

Perhaps, moving ahead with the core and filing the weak spots in the upcoming auction could direct UP Yoddha to a successful campaign in the next edition and increase their popularity. UP Yoddha will once again bank upon its pivotal players like Nitesh Kumar, Sumit, Shrikant Jadhav, and Surender Gill for the next season.

#9 Dabang Delhi K.C. - 84.8k followers

The Delhi-based franchise Dabang Delhi K.C. had its fabulous campaign in Season 7, finishing as the runners-up with a sensational performance from the young prodigy - Naveen Kumar Goyat, who went on to score a record of 21 Super-10s in a row (22 in total). They have amassed a total of 84,800 followers on Instagram, after two back-to-back appearances in the playoffs.

However, the franchise still has an unsatisfactory number of followers in comparison to how they have built a formidable side lately. It is because of their performance in the first five seasons of the league, where the team failed to make it to the knockouts. Joginder Narwal became the first captain for Delhi to have led them to the playoffs in Season 6.

With a well-balanced defense led by Ravinder Pahal and Joginder Nawal, Delhi performed consistently along with Naveen Kumar, Chandran Ranjith, and Vijay in the raiding department. However, the team missed by luck in the summit clash against Bengal Warriors with their defense conceding a lot of points against the latter.

Dabang Delhi K.C. will be looking to continue its association with their asset in Naveen Kumar, while they'll look to strengthen their defense by adding young players to the line-up. Naveen Kumar, being a young prodigy who lits the center-stage with his power-packed performances, his long-term presence in the side could boost Dabang Delhi's fandom in the upcoming editions.

#8 Bengal Warriors - 103k followers

The defending champions Bengal Warriors stand at the eighth spot in the most followers among the PKL teams on Instagram with 1,03,000+ followers. The Kolkata-based franchise finally clinched their maiden title in the seventh season with their all-round performances led by the likes of Maninder Singh and the Iranian Mohammad Nabibakhsh.

Warriors made it to the playoffs in three seasons of the league but never made it to the finale as they didn't have a formidable line-up back then. However, the Season 7 champions gained a reputable amount of followers after the way they played throughout the seventh edition. The team has created a buzz in social media after their title win since then.

Warriors got known for their depth in their line-up in both raiding and defense in the recently-concluded season. While Nabibakhsh led the team in the absence of regular skipper Maninder Singh, the duo of Baldev Singh and Rinku Narwal showed maturity throughout the season and performed well as a unit. With the recent title victory, Bengal Warriors have established a bond with the Kolkata fans on social media.

#7 Gujarat Fortune Giants - 106k followers

Gujarat Fortune Giants attracted a lot of interests of the Kabaddi fans by appearing into two back-to-back finals. The Gujarat-based franchise, known for backing young prodigies to step up and perform in the limelight, impressed a lot of Kabaddi fans as they have acquired 1,06,000+ followers on their Instagram handle.

A lot of admirers acknowledged Manpreet Singh as one of the most exciting coaches they've witnessed in the league, as Gujarat gave limelight to a lot of young players like Sachin Tanwar, Rohit Gulia Sunil Kumar, and Parvesh Bhainswal. The uniqueness in their style of play became a prominent reason for their increase in popularity among other teams.

However, the seventh season turned out to be a backfire for the Fortune Giants as they finished at the ninth position in the points table with just seven wins out of 22 matches. The lack of an experienced veteran in the squad hurt them a lot, as Sachin Tanwar's poor form along with the inconsistency of the cover duo - Sunil Kumar and Parvesh Bhainswal led them to a downhill. Rohit Gulia's vital performances during crucial situations were the only positive for the side last year.

Gujarat Fortune Giants would want change in plans as they will be hoping to sign big-match players into the auction, which could help them attract admiration from the fans and win their maiden trophy in the upcoming eighth season in the process.

#6 Puneri Paltan - 117k followers

Puneri Paltan is a franchise known to have star-players in its set up, but have never been able to appear in a Pro Kabaddi final. Despite shuffling its players to find the right combination, Puneri Paltan is a franchise for their power-packed performances, having gained 1,17,000+ followers on Instagram.

Kabaddi is a popular sport in Maharashtra, as a lot of fans follow the game with sheer enthusiasm. A lot of Puneri Paltan fans show up in massive crowds and have shown continuous support to the Pune-based franchise. One of the notable gains for Puneri Paltan was the signing of former Indian captain Anup Kumar as the head coach, which attracted a lot of attention towards the team last year.

Despite getting hit with an early blow of Nitin Tomar's injury ahead of the season, Puneri Paltan raised the likes of Pankaj Mohite and Manjeet Dahiya as the frontline raiders. However, their defense with the likes of Surjeet Singh and Girish Ernak failed miserably as the team changed their defensive combination in almost every single match. Their inconsistency led them to fall on the 10th spot and eventually get knocked out.

Perhaps, a lot of newcomers from Maharashtra could be seen in the eighth edition as Puneri Paltan will be eyeing a new defensive line-up and back their raiders in regards to keeping their fans happy with a memorable campaign.

#5 Jaipur Pink Panthers - 121k followers

The inaugural champions Jaipur Pink Panthers, owned by Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, has been one of the most renowned teams in the Pro Kabaddi League. With 1,21,000+ followers on Instagram, the Pink Panthers have gained an immense fan following since the beginning of the league.

Jaipur Pink Panthers are known for their aggressive style of play and have built a rivalry with their counterparts U Mumba as one of the most heated in the competition. Jasvir Singh was the face of the franchise in the starting seasons, where the Pink Panthers also made it to the final of Season 4. However, they opted to switch gears and have Deepak Niwas Hooda and Sandeep Dhull in their ranks.

Though Jaipur Pink Panthers couldn't make it to the playoffs last season, they had started the season with a bang - winning six out of seven games at the beginning. However, their momentum went downhill as the support raiders couldn't score points while the defense leaked a lot of points. It resulted in series of losses, which knocked them out of the playoffs race.

However, the next season could turn out to be wonders for the Jaipur-based franchise if they retain their vital players and form a dependable squad for their second title victory.

#4 Tamil Thalaivas - 138k followers

The Chennai-based franchise Tamil Thalaivas has gained immense popularity in just three seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League. Tamil Thalaivas, with 1,38,000+ followers on Instagram, is the most followed team among the four, which started back in the fifth season.

Tamilnadu has the biggest fan following in the sport of Kabaddi, as the game has originated in the ancient Tamil region and parts of other South Indian states. Ajay Thakur has been the icon player for the Thalaivas since the fifth season, along with Manjeet Chhillar and Rahul Chaudhari in the seasons ahead. It is also a notable reason why the Thalaivas have gained wide-spread popularity.

However, Thalaivas have not been able to convert their support into results as they have ended as wooden spoon holders in the past three seasons of the competition. In Season 7, Thalaivas looked a dominant side on paper but couldn't produce results with just four wins in 22 matches. The problem of having too many veterans did hurt the franchise, as they eventually ended up having separate opinions within the teammates.

Perhaps a complete revamp for the Tamil Thalaivas with a fresh start could help them get back on track, as they still have a wide fanbase in comparison to other sides.

#3 U Mumba - 180k followers

Noted as a prestigious team in the Pro Kabaddi League, the Season 2 champions U Mumba has been the home to many renowned Kabaddi players like Anup Kumar, Rishank Devadiga, Rakesh Kumar, Surender Nada, Siddharth Desai, and Fazel Atrachali. The Mumbai-based franchise has 1,80,000+ followers on Instagram, which is the third-highest among all teams of the Pro Kabaddi League.

Owned by Ronnie Screwvala, U Mumba established itself as a consistent side from 2014 to 2016, appearing in the finals of all three seasons from the start. Although the team ended its association with the legendary Anup Kumar in the sixth season, the fan support for U Mumba continued to grow under the captaincy of Fazel Atrachali. The franchise has gained immense respect among the Maharashtrian region, nurturing young talents like Surinder Singh, Abhishek Singh, and Arjun Deshwal as the stand-out players of today.

With the experience of only Fazel Atrachali and Sandeep Narwal in the seventh season, U Mumba defied all odds and qualified in the semi-finals of 2019. Their inexperienced raiders rose to the occasion and established their dominance with sensational performances. Even though the side couldn't make it to the final, U Mumba performed above their expectations.

U Mumba, the team known for a star-studded line-up in the starting seasons, have established themselves as a side that uplifts young talents as the competition grows bigger.

#2 Bengaluru Bulls - 207k followers

A dominant side right from the start, Bengaluru Bulls gained the reputation of having star-studded players like Manjeet Chillar, Ajay Thakur, and Dharmaraj Cheralathan in the first two seasons. Later on, Bulls added Rohit Kumar in their squad, who went on to become a notable player in the competition. Bulls are the one out of the two sides to have crossed 200k followers, having gained a total of 2,07,000+ followers on Instagram.

Bengaluru Bulls have achieved a large number of fan following from the Karnataka region, a state where Kabaddi has grown leaps and bounds over the years. However, the franchise saw a significant boost in their all social med platforms as 'Hi-Flyer' Pawan Sehrawat wrecked havoc in the sixth season to take them to the title. In what was an inspiring journey for Pawan with 271 raid points, he single-handedly helped Bulls to win the Season 6 trophy.

Pawan continued to assert his dominance for Bengaluru Bulls in the seventh season as well, scoring 346 raid points at a staggering average of 14.42 raid points per game. Even though they got knocked out in the semi-final, the Hi-Flyer entertained the fans throughout the league-stage with his exceptional performances and incredible feats.

Having established themselves a high-profile team in just two seasons of the league, Bengaluru Bulls will be looking to continue their dominant run yet again with the fans backing their side immensely.

#1 Patna Pirates - 213k followers

Three-time champions from Season 3 to Season 5, Patna Pirates are the most followed on Instagram with a total of 2,13,000+ followers. The most successful side in the history of PKL has revolved around one player - Pardeep Narwal, who has led the Patna-based franchise to have such feats in the league's history.

Patna Pirates' success story paved by Pardeep Narwal is a prime reason why they have acquired the most fanbase on the widely-used Instagram site. The 'Record-breaker' Pardeep Narwal has achieved uncountable feats in his run, becoming the only raider to date to have scored more than 1,000 raid points in the competition's history. He has also claimed 59 Super-10s in the process, acknowledged as the most prolific raider in the PKL today.

Because of getting knocked out in the two recent seasons due to over-reliance upon Pardeep Narwal, Patna Pirates have slightly gone downhill in their momentum. A lack of a formidable support raider and a brittle defense has hurt Pirates' dominant run as of late. However, they will be hoping to bounce back with an expectation of building a balanced squad in the upcoming eighth edition of Pro Kabaddi League.

Edited by Alan John