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As one of the nation’s oldest head coaches of Indian cricket, Ravi Shastri reflected on his early years enjoying kabaddi in Mumbai as well as said that in the sport, fitness speaks volumes. 

After being abandoned for a while, Kabaddi gained significant traction in India in 2014 when the Pro Kabaddi League was established. Nine years have gone since then, and the PKL has developed into among the best sports leagues in the nation. The new season will begin on December 2 of next month.

Ravi Shastri said, “I used to play kabaddi in my colony. It was a lot of fun to play the game because we used to play in the evening. Everyone from the colony used to come together to play. And a group of 50 people used to watch our games.”

The former Team India player spoke about how crucial fitness is in any sport, “A good fitness level is very important for kabaddi. Core strength and lower body are very important.”

Sanjay Manjrekar also spoke about his amazing experience of watching the sport of Kabaddi in Mumbai. He said, “A very competitive night kabaddi used to take place and a lot of people used to go and watch the games in Mumbai. I also used to go and watch the games along with the huge crowd.”

The former Team India opener spoke about how it is easier to face pacers instead of playing Kabaddi. He said, “This is a contact sport. I found it easier to wear a helmet and face fast bowling than playing kabaddi. One requires flexibility, strength and smartness for this sport.”

In India, the Star Sports Network will broadcast live coverage of the Pro Kabaddi League 2023–24 season. Concurrently, the games are available on the Star Network in many regional languages. Disney+ Hotstar is another platform where you can watch the Pro Kabaddi League 2023–24 matches for free.