Premier Badminton League, aka PBL, is a team badminton league operating in India. It was launched in 2016 and is one of the top badminton leagues in the world.[1] It features nine state or city-based franchise teams and the top Indian and international badminton talent. The league has reached an audience of more than 100 million through television, on-ground support, and social media. As of 2024, the league has hosted 5 seasons.[2]
Current season, competition or edition: 2025 Premier Badminton League | |
 | |
| Formerly | Indian Badminton League |
|---|---|
| Sport | Badminton |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Administrator | Badminton Association of India |
| No. of teams | 9 |
| Country |  India |
| Most recent champion(s) | Bengaluru Raptors (2020) |
| Most titles | Bengaluru Raptors (2018–19, 2020) |
| TV partner(s) | List of broadcasters |
| Streaming partner(s) | Jio Cinema |
| Sponsor(s) | Star Sports |
| Tournament format | |
| Official website | Website |
| 2025 Premier Badminton League | |
The first season of PBL was held from 2 to 17 January 2016. Delhi Dashers, formerly Delhi Acers, defeated Mumbai Rockets in the final to clinch the title. The second season began on 22 December 2016 and came to end on 14 January 2017 with the Chennai Smashers headed by P. V. Sindhu clinching the title in the finals. The third season began on 23 December 2017 and came to end on 14 January 2018 with Hyderabad Hunters headed by Carolina Marín emerging as the champions. Bengaluru Raptors won the last two editions in 2018-19 and 2020, becoming the only team to win the title twice.
Background
editTournament format
editTeams play each other in round-robin format in league stage. Each team plays six ties in the league stage in which each tie consists of five matches. The matches played are two Men's singles, Women's singles, Men's doubles and Mixed doubles. Each of these matches are best of 3 games.[3] Teams earn one point for each regular match win; in addition, each team must choose a Trump match, where a win is worth two points, and a loss subtracts one point.[4] After league stage, the top four teams in the table will qualify for the knockout stage. The winners of semi-finals goes into the final, in which the winner will be crowned the PBL champions.
Player auctions
editThe player auctions are usually held at the end of each year for the subsequent season. Professional players from around the world enter the bidding where teams buy them.[5] The league has helped players more than double their annual earnings from prize money in the year 2018.[6] As per Danish player Victor Axelsen, this was a crucial part of their annual income.[7] Each franchise has a purse of ₹2 crore (US$240,000) and the maximum a team can spend on a single player was ₹77 lakh (US$92,000) in the most recent 2020 auction.[8]
Fifth Season
editThe fifth season auctions were held on 26 November 2019 in New Delhi.[9] Each franchise had a purse of ₹2 crore (US$240,000), and were not allowed to spend more than ₹77 lakh (US$92,000) on a single player.[8][9] The highest paid players were the Taiwanese Tai Tzu-ying and Indian P. V. Sindhu, both sold for the maximum amount of ₹77 lakh (US$92,000) to Bengaluru Raptors and Hyderabad Hunters respectively. Indian doubles player Satwiksairaj Rankireddy was the next highest, bought for ₹62 lakh (US$74,000) by Chennai Superstarz.[10]
2020 being the Olympic year, key players like Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth, Carolina Marín, Victor Axelsen and others have decided to skip the season.[11][12]
Some of the players were traded between Mumbai, Chennai and Pune teams ahead of the season.[13]
Teams
editCurrently seven teams compete in the badminton league.[14] Previously, there were nine teams, during 2018–19.[15][14][10][13]
| Team | City | Highest Paid Male | Highest Paid Female | Home Ground | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyderabad Hunters | Hyderabad | Gachibowli Indoor Stadium | |||
| Bengaluru Raptors | Bangalore | Koramangala Indoor Stadium | |||
| Awadhe Warriors | Lucknow | Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium | |||
| Mumbai Rockets | Mumbai | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Indoor Stadium | |||
| Chennai Superstarz | Chennai | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium | |||
| Northeastern Warriors | Guwahati | Karmabir Nabin Chandra Bordoloi Indoor Stadium | |||
| Pune 7 Aces | Pune | Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex | |||
Seasons
editSeason 1
editIn 2016, the league was renamed from Indian Badminton League to Premier Badminton League, and still followed same format. This first season of the PBL started on 2 January 2016 and concluded on 17 January 2016. The four teams to proceed to the semi-finals were Delhi Dashers, Chennai Smashers, Awadhe Warriors and Mumbai Rockets. Delhi beat Chennai 4-3 and Mumbai Rockets beat Awadhe Warriors 3–1 to proceed to the final. Delhi Dashers won the tournament after beating Mumbai Rockets 4–3.
Season 2
editThe second season of the Premier Badminton League started on 1 January 2017 and concluded on 14 January 2017. It followed the same format as the earlier league, and the four teams to proceed to the semi-finals were Awadhe Warriors, Mumbai Rockets, Chennai Smashers and Hyderabad Hunters. Chennai Smashers beat Awadhe Warriors 4-1 and Mumbai Rockets beat Hyderabad Hunters 3-(-1) to proceed to the final. Chennai Smashers won the tournament after beating Mumbai Rockets 4–3.
Season 3
editThe third season of the PBL started on 23 December 2017 and concluded on 14 January 2018. Hyderabad Hunters were crowned the champions after they beat Bengaluru Blasters 4–3 in the final tie.
Season 4
editThe fourth season of the PBL was played from 22 December 2018 to 13 January 2019. In the fourth season Bengaluru Raptors took their first title after beating Mumbai Rockets in the final.
Season 5
editThe fifth season of the PBL started on 20 January 2020 and concluded on 9 February 2020. Seven teams participated in the season. Delhi Dashers and Ahmedabad Smash Masters did not participate in this edition. Total prize money of ₹6 crore (equivalent to ₹7.1 crore or US$850,000 in 2023) was announced by Sportzlive for the tournament.[16] Bengaluru Raptors beat Northeastern Warriors 4–2 in the finals to win their second title. It was also their second consecutive title in PBL.
Editions and results
editFive seasons of Premier Badminton League have been played since the first season back in 2016. Here are the results.[17]
| Season | Year(s) | Final | Venue | Teams | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Result | Runner-up | ||||
| 1 | 2016 Details | Delhi Acers | 4–3 | Mumbai Rockets | DDA Badminton and Squash Stadium, New Delhi | 6 |
| 2 | 2017 Details | Chennai Smashers | 4–3 | Mumbai Rockets | DDA Badminton and Squash Stadium, New Delhi | 6 |
| 3 | 2017–18 Details | Hyderabad Hunters | 4–3 | Bengaluru Blasters | Kanteerava Indoor Stadium, Bangalore | 8 |
| 4 | 2018–19 Details | Bengaluru Raptors | 4–3 | Mumbai Rockets | Kanteerava Indoor Stadium, Bangalore | 9 |
| 5 | 2020 Details | Bengaluru Raptors | 4–2 | Northeastern Warriors | Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad | 7 |
Performance table
edit| Seasons | Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4 | Season 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 7 |
| Hyderabad Hunters | 5th | SF | 1st | SF | 6th |
| Bengaluru Raptors | 6th | 5th | 2nd | 1st | 1st |
| Awadhe Warriors | SF | SF | 5th | SF | 5th |
| Mumbai Rockets | 2nd | 2nd | 8th | 2nd | 7th |
| Chennai Superstarz | SF | 1st | 6th | 6th | SF |
| Northeastern Warriors | DNE | 7th | 8th | 2nd | |
| Pune 7 Aces | DNE | 5th | SF | ||
| Delhi Dashers | 1st | 6th | SF | 9th | DEF |
| Ahmedabad Smash Masters† | DNE | SF | 7th | DEF | |
| 1st | Champions |
| 2nd | Runner-up |
| SF | Semi-finalists |
| DNE | Team did not exist in the respective season |
| DEF | Team defunct |
| † | Teams that no longer exist |
Notes
edit- Bengaluru Raptors was formerly Bengaluru Top Guns and Bengaluru Blasters.
- Chennai Superstarz was formerly Chennai Smashers.
- Delhi Dashers was formerly Delhi Acers.
Team players
edit
Broadcast rights
editIn 2013 STAR Sports India purchased the broadcasting rights for India.[18]
| Winning bidder | Regional broadcast rights | Terms of deal |
|---|---|---|
| STAR Sports | 2013-2025 | |
| Fox Sports | 2013-2020 | |
| SKY Sports | 2013-2030 | |
| ESPN | 2013-2023 | |
| Hotstar | Worldwide digital rights | 2016–present[19] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Franchisees to participate in auction for Premier Badminton League". sportstar.thehindu.com. 6 December 2015. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ Subrahmanyam, V. V. (8 March 2020). "Premier Badminton League: An uplifting experience!". sportstar.thehindu.com. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ "Rules And Regulations". Premier Badminton League. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
- ^ PBL to have Trump Match, best of three games for 15 points - The Times of India / Press Trust of India, 15 December 2015
- ^ Antony, A. Joseph (12 August 2013). "Sudirman Cup-like format for IBL". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "From PV Sindhu To Chirag Shetty, Here Are The Highest-Paid Players In Premier Badminton League - Let The Auction Begin!". The Economic Times. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ Sachetat, Raphaël. "When private leagues help make a living". Retrieved 24 January 2020.
- ^ a b Sportstar, Team (26 November 2019). "PBL Auction- As it happened: PV Sindhu, Tai Tzu fetch big bucks, Chennai, Pune build strong teams". Sportstar. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
- ^ a b "7 Teams, 154 Shuttlers: All You Need to Know About PBL Auction". The Quint. 26 November 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
- ^ a b Sportstar, Team (26 November 2019). "PBL 5 Auction: Full team list, released and sold players". Sportstar. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
- ^ "After Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth pulls out of PBL to focus on international events". India Today. Press Trust of India. 25 November 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
- ^ Richard, Dominic (19 January 2020). "PBL 5 preview: League aims to make splash despite several stars missing". Sportstar. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
- ^ a b India, P. B. L. (20 January 2020). "Done deal! @gabbyadcock @7acespune Kuhoo Garg @Mumbai_Rockets_ Jessica Pugh @Superstarz_PBL Which team has made the best trade ahead of #PBLSeason5? #RiseOfTheRacquetpic.twitter.com/SYQbqTJmBh". @PBLIndiaLive. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
- ^ a b "Home". Premier Badminton League. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
- ^ Indian Badminton League Teams Archived 26 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "PBL 2020: Reigning world champion PV Sindhu, World No 2 Tai Tzu Ying to headline fifth edition of Premier Badminton League". Firstpost. 18 January 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
- ^ "Home". Premier Badminton League. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
- ^ "Indian Badminton League: Dabur nets Pune, PVP bags Hyderabad franchise". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013.
- ^ Malvania, Urvi (2 January 2016). "Star Sports title sponsor of Premier Badminton League". Business Standard India. Retrieved 25 January 2020.