Star Sports Pro Kabaddi has brought the traditional Indian sport back in people’s minds by reaching millions of homes all over the world. 8 franchises from different cities fight it out on the mat for over a month to be declared the best in the country.
PKL follows a unique caravan system where each city hosts the tournament for 4 days each in the league stage. The home team plays 4 matches at home across the 4-day period and 10 away so the home form becomes extremely crucial in deciding who makes it to the knockout stage.
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Let us now take a look at the home records of all the eight teams in the four seasons that we’ve had in PKL so far and rank them on the basis of that.
#8 Dabang Delhi
Matches Played | Won | Lost | Tied | Win % |
16 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 19% |
Dabang Delhi have been the most disappointing team in Star Sports Pro Kabaddi as far as home form is considered. With the worst win percentage - less than 19% - the Eagles have failed to soar high at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex, New Delhi and have, more often than not, disappointed their loyal fans.
They have lost the most number of matches at home (11). The national capital has failed to bring joy to the Dabangs as they have managed to win just 3 matches, with ZERO wins in season 3. The first season they lost 3 matches while beating Bengal Warriors 46-36 in their final match at home in the inaugural edition. The second season was their best ever home return as they humiliated Patna Pirates 45-26 and drew 45-45 against Telugu Titans, a match where Kashiling Adake scored a record 24 points.
Season 4 saw them notch their biggest home win (21 points) against Bengal Warriors in the first match, but they ended up on the losing side on the other 3 days to crash out of the tournament and finish 7th.
Having finished in the bottom 3 in all the four seasons, it is clear where their mistakes lie. A good return from their home leg is sure to overturn their fortunes as they are decent travellers.
#7 Puneri Paltan
Matches Played | Won | Lost | Tied | Win % |
16 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 31% |
The Puneri Paltan have one of the worst home records in all the 8 franchises, with a winning percentage of just 31% in their home leg. Having played at the Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune, they were forced to change their venue to Mumbai for season 4 due to unforeseen circumstances.
Mumbai served as a home away from home as they conjured up their best performance in the ‘home’ leg with 2 wins and a draw. One of the wins included a seemingly elusive victory over derby rival U Mumba – their first in 7 attempts. The first two seasons were identical for the Paltan as they lost 3 and won 1 match each. The third season saw a slight improvement as they lost just 1 match and drawing 2 as they qualified for the semi-final for the first time ever.
Having underwent a complete makeover of sorts ahead of the third season, they have managed to arrest the slide they were in. And the home fans will be hoping for a further improvement in their performances as they go from strength to strength.
#6 Bengaluru Bulls
Matches Played | Won | Lost | Tied | Win % |
16 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 34% |
The team from Bengaluru, ahead of this season had a win percentage of 50. This time, however, the SreeKanteerava Indoor Stadium had to witness the worst ever performance by a home team as the Bulls lost ALL of their 4 matches and thus crashing out of the tournament.
They played 4 matches at home in Season 1, won 3 of them with authority and lost 1. In Season 2, they won 2 and lost 2 of their 4 home matches, but ended up reaching the final. If they thought season 3 with 1 win and 3 losses was bad, season 4 was a rude awakening as they now hold the distinction of being the first and the only team to lose all 4 matches at home in a single season.
Despite having a stellar squad and the most expensive player in their ranks, the Bulls ended up disappointing their home fans this season. Having gotten progressively worse as the tournament has progressed, they’ll be hoping the tide shifts in their favour when season 5 comes calling.
#5 Bengal Warriors
Matches Played | Won | Lost | Tied | Win % |
16 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 44% |
The Bengal Warriors play their home matches at the iconic Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Indoor Stadium in Kolkata. They have a win percentage of nearly 44, the same as two other teams, but have lost more and hence find themselves out of the podium positions.
With 7 wins and a solitary tie in their 16 matches, the Warriors have not exactly set the stage alight in front of their home fans. Their home form has mirrored their performances in the tournament as the only time they made the semis, they had a stellar home record.
In Season 1, they played 4 matches at home, winning 2 and losing 2. Season 2 was frustrating for them at home as they lost three matches and won just one. They turned it all around in the third season, though, and slayed 3 teams and losing just once as they made the semi-finals. This season, they lost twice while winning just the one match as they missed out on the play-off spot yet again.
#4 Jaipur Pink Panthers
Matches Played | Won | Lost | Tied | Win % |
16 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 44 |
The Champions of Season 1, Jaipur Pink Panthers, who play their home games at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur have a winning percentage of a little less than 44% at home, which doesn’t portray their true calibre on the field.
Their success in Season 1 can be imputed to their grand showing at home, as they ended the home leg unbeaten with 3 convincing wins and a solitary tie. Their dismal show in Seasons 2 and 3 could be because of their dreary performance at home, as they could manage to win just 2 home games in both the seasons while losing the other 6.
In season 4, they regained their lost reputation by winning 2 and losing just 1 in the 4 matches played at home, en route to the semis. The omens are good for the Pink Panthers to become two time champions as the last time they had a good home leg, they went on to win the trophy.
#3 Patna Pirates
Matches Played | Won | Lost | Tied | Win % |
16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 44% |
Patna Pirates have had a modest show at home, and are third in the list of teams with the best home records. They play their home games at the Patliputra Sports Complex, Patna and have mustered a win percentage of nearly 44% at home.
The winners of Season 3 of PKL have won 7, lost 5, at home while tying the most number of matches on home turf out of all the PKL teams. In Season 1, they won 1 and lost 1 while season 2 was their best return at home with 2 wins and 1 loss. Last season, they replicated their performance, but this season, they won 2 matches before succumbing to twin losses.
Despite being the champions, there are still plenty of areas they can improve – a major one being their performances at home. This season, they will be looking to becoming the first team ever to win the tournament twice.
#2 Telugu Titans
Matches Played | Won | Lost | Tied | Win % |
16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 56% |
Telugu Titans have quite an impressive record at home, coming in at number 2 behind U Mumba. They have alternated between Vizag and Hyderabad as their home grounds, both with immense success. Their home support is second to none and provides them with a major confidence boost, something which was witnessed this season too.
Out of the 16 matches they have played at home, they have been victorious in 9 of them, while managing to draw 3 matches. Their win percentage of 56 puts them in the second position of teams with the best home record.
In Season 1, they played 4 games at Vizag, winning 3 and tying their first match 28-28 against Bengaluru Bulls. Season 2, at Hyderabad, was another stirring show at home as they won 2 and tied 2 (against Jaipur Pink Panthers and Puneri Paltan). Moving back to Vizag failed to replicate their success as they won 2 and lost the remaining, while a return to Hyderabad gave them similar results.
Whenever they’ve played their home matches at Hyderabad, they have gone on to qualify for the knockouts. And they can repay the brilliant support they get by lifting the title in their backyard, this time around.
#1 U Mumba
Matches Played | Won | Lost | Tied | Win % |
16 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 75% |
U Mumba, the most successful team in PKL so far, have the best home record among all the teams in the history of PKL. They play their home matches atDOME@NSCI SVP Stadium, Mumbai. One of the main reasons for their success can be attributed to the immense support that they get in their home ground, which was an impenetrable fortress for them until this season.
They have played 16 games at home, winning 12 and tying 1, which gives them a win percentage of 75%, the highest out of any of the teams in the tournament. They were unbeaten at home in the first three seasons, with their only tie before season 4 coming in the inaugural season.
They played 4 matches at home in Season 1, winning 3 of them convincingly. In Season 2, they played 4 matches at home, winning all 4 of them en route to lifting the title at home. They repeated their Season 2 exploits in the third by winning all 4 matches. This season, however, Telugu once again tied with them before Bengal Warriors and Bengaluru Bulls finally ended their dominance with narrow wins.
Owing to their poor form this season, they failed to make the semis for the very first time, something they’ll be looking to correct ahead of season 5.
