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

Modified Dec 10, 2021 12:20 IST

Which PKL team has the most Instagram followers?

#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.

Edited by Alan John