Former Pro Kabaddi star players Anup Kumar, Ajay Thakur to Return for PKL Melbourne Raid

The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) will be held in Australia with the highly anticipated PKL Melbourne Raid. The event will be held at the iconic John Cain Arena on Saturday, December 28, a day before the mega final of PKL 11.

This event will feature top-tier Kabaddi action with four formidable squads taking part in the competition. PKL All Star Mavericks, PKL All Star Masters and Pro Kabaddi All Stars will be the three teams comprising the best Indian Kabaddi talent from the PKL, alongside a star-studded Australian contingent named the Aussie Raiders, as they battle for supremacy in this one-of-a-kind showcase event.

“The PKL Melbourne Raid signifies the growing global appeal of Kabaddi, bringing the spirit and intensity of this traditional sport to the Australian audience. With the likes of Ajay Thakur, Pardeep Narwal, Anup Kumar, Rakesh Kumar, Maninder Singh, Sachin Tanwar and other legendary players taking part, the fans can look forward to an electrifying encounter that transcends borders,” said a statement from the organisers.

"We are thrilled to be invited by Visit Victoria for a PKL demonstration in Melbourne, one of the world's foremost sporting destination cities. The PKL Melbourne Raid signifies kabaddi's growing global appeal, bringing together legends as well as current stars. Coming at the apex phase of the ongoing PKL Season 11, this is a great opportunity to showcase the capabilities of our League, as well as the energy of kabaddi as a truly world-class sport," said Anupam Goswami, League Commissioner, PKL.

The match will take place during the fourth India-Australia Test, the Boxing Day Test, in Border Gavaskar Trophy at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.  

Squads for PKL Melbourne Raid:

PKL All Star Mavericks

Ajay Thakur (Raider/Captain), Deepak Hooda (Raider), Aadesh (Raider), Rakesh (Raider), Pardeep Narwal (Raider), Nitin Rawal (Left Corner + Raider), Aditya Powar (Left Corner), Nitesh Kumar (Right Corner), Mayur Kadam (Right Cover), Priyank Chandel (Left Cover), Nitin (Left Corner), Sachin (Raider).

Coach: E. Bhaskaran

PKL All Star Masters

Rakesh Kumar (Raider/Captain), Anup Kumar (Raider), Sukesh Hegde (Raider), Jai Bhagwan (Raider), Maninder Singh (Raider), Jeeva Kumar (Left Cover), Sandeep Narwal (Right Cover), Vishal Bhardwaj (Left Corner), Saurabh Nandal (Right Corner), Mohit (Right Cover), Ran Singh (Right/Left Corner), Nitesh (Left Corner).

Coach: B.C. Ramesh

Pro Kabaddi All Stars

Anup Kumar (Raider/Captain), Rakesh Kumar (Raider), Sukesh Hegde (Raider), Jai Bhagwan (Raider), Maninder Singh (Raider), Jeeva Kumar (Left Cover), Sandeep Narwal (Right Cover), Vishal Bhardwaj (Left Corner), Saurabh Nandal (Right Corner), Mohit (Right Cover), Nitesh (Left Corner).

Coach: E. Bhaskaran

Aussie Raiders

Josh Kennedy (Left In/Raider/Captain), Marc Murphy (Corner/Raider), Dan Hannebery (Left Corner), Brett Deledio (Raider), Ben Nugent (Centre/Raider), Billy Gowers (Left Corner/Raider), Michael Hibberd (Left Corner), Trent McKenzie (Right In), Dyson Heppell (Raider/Left Corner), Liam Shiels (Right Corner/Raider).

Coach: Campbell Brown  

Schedule of the PKL Melbourne Raid:

Match 1: PKL ALL STAR MAVERICKS VS PKL ALL STAR MASTERS @ 2:30 pm IST

Match 2: AUSSIE RAIDERS VS PRO KABADDI ALL STARS @2:30 pm IST

 Note: PKL Melbourne Raid will be broadcast on Star Sports network and streamed on Disney+Hotstar in India, and Channel 7 in Australia.

Tags : Pro Kabaddi League, Melbourne, PKL Melbourne Raid, PKL, John Cain Arena