PKL: Opening day fixtures of each Pro Kabaddi League seasons

Two teams have featured in the PKL season opener on six occasions each.

It seems like it was just days ago when Anup Kumar’s U Mumba took on Navneet Gautam’s Jaipur Pink Panthers at the NSCI Dome (Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium) in Mumbai in the opening match of the inaugural season of the Pro Kabaddi League.

However, nearly 11 years have passed since that date, and we now await the start of the 12th season of the competition, on August 29.

The game has changed a lot during this period. The pace has picked up, rules have changed, tournament formats have undergone alteration and fan-following as well as the revenue has increased. What has remained a constant though, is the excitement caused by the first fixture of any edition.

Brace yourselves… the panga is back 🛡#PKL Season 12 storms in from 29th August 🗓🔥It’s time to raid, tackle, and roar louder than ever 💥#ProKabaddi pic.twitter.com/F56USW7JYG

— ProKabaddi (@ProKabaddi) July 9, 2025

Two franchises representing two of the most vibrant cities in the nation—U Mumba and Telugu Titans, have been involved in the tournament opener as many as six times. The former has emerged victorious five times, while the latter has tasted success only twice.

In fact, the two teams have themselves gone up against each other twice, with the season two champions reigning triumphant in both of those meetings.

Apart from that, the Jaipur Pink Panthers, Bengaluru Bulls and Tamil Thalaivas have taken part in the opening game two times each, while the Puneri Paltan, Patna Pirates, Dabang Delhi K.C. and Gujarat Giants have featured once.

On that note, it is now time to have a look at the opening encounters of the first 11 seasons of the PKL.

Opening-day fixture of each Pro Kabaddi (PKL) seasons

Season 1

July 26, 2014: U Mumba 45-31 Jaipur Pink Panthers

The trio of Anup Kumar, Shabeer Bappu and Rishank Devadiga put on strong performances as U Mumba defeated the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the first-ever PKL match. A young Maninder Singh announced his arrival with 17 points, while Jasvir Singh also starred for the Panthers.

Season 2

July 18, 2015: U Mumba 29-28 Jaipur Pink Panthers

In a repeat of the inaugural and final matches of the previous edition, U Mumba and the Jaipur Pink Panthers went up against each other to kickstart the second instalment. It was a close encounter, as a result of the success of the defenders. Jeeva Kumar top-scored with 9 tackle points, while Kuldeep Singh managed 5.

Also Read: OPINION: Should PKL be held twice a year?

Season 3

January 30, 2016: Telugu Titans 25-27 U Mumba

Defending champions U Mumba enjoyed success in the tournament opener for the third successive time, edging past Telugu Titans. Super-sub Rishank Devadiga had 8 points on the night, while Anup Kumar got 6. On the other side, Sukesh Hegde and Rahul Chaudhari scored 9 and 6 points respectively.

Season 4

June 25, 2016: Puneri Paltan 28-24 Telugu Titans

The Telugu Titans started off with a loss for the second consecutive season, this time against the Puneri Paltan. It was a night for the defenders as Manjeet Chhillar, Ravinder Pahal and Joginder Narwal managed to take their team to victory despite the brilliance of Vinod Kumar and Sandeep Narwal.

Season 5

July 28, 2017: Telugu Titans 32-27 Tamil Thalaivas

The Titans were third time lucky, as they managed to go past new team Tamil Thalaivas. Rahul Chaudhari and Vishal Bhardwaj got a super 10 and high 5 respectively, which was enough to down their sudden rivals despite handy contributions in raid from Prapanjan and Ajay Thakur.

Season 6

October 7, 2018: Tamil Thalaivas 42-28 Patna Pirates

The Thalaivas were on-song on the opening night against the Patna Pirates, who were coming in after winning three back-to-back titles. Ajay Thakur and Pardeep Narwal racked up super 10s, while Thalaivas’ Surjeet Singh and Pirates’ Manjeet played supporting cast for their respective teams.

Season 7

July 20, 2019: Telugu Titans 25-31 U Mumba

The Telugu Titans and U Mumba returned to face off against each other in the first fixture of the seventh season. It was the season two champions who again emerged victorious. Abhishek kicked off his season with a super 10, with Rajnish’s effort went in vain.

Also Read: Top 10 best Indian Kabaddi players of all-time ft. Pardeep Narwal

Season 8

December 22, 2021: Bengaluru Bulls 30-46 U Mumba

After the pandemic-induced break, it was the Bengaluru Bulls and U Mumba who faced off against each other, bringing joy back to the fans. Abhishek Singh had a stunning night with 19 points, as super 10s by Chandran Ranjit and Pawan Sehrawat couldn’t save their team on the night.

Season 9

October 7, 2022: Dabang Delhi K.C. 41-27 U Mumba

U Mumba suffered a defeat in the opening fixture of a PKL season for the first time. Defending champions Dabang Delhi K.C. were too hot to handle as star raider Naveen Kumar accumulated 13 raid points. Support raider Ashu Malik scored 7 points, which was same as that by the top-scorer in the opposition, Ashish.

Season 10

December 2, 2023: Gujarat Giants 38-32 Telugu Titans

Pawan Sehrawat had become the most expensive player in the history of the competition at the auction. He justified it by starting off with a super 10 but unfortunately didn’t get support from any other Titans’ player. Sonu came from the bench to shift the momentum and lead the Gujarat Giants to a dominant victory.

Also Read: PKL 12: Best player of each team in Pro Kabaddi 2025

Season 11

October 18, 2024: Telugu Titans 37-29 Bengaluru Bulls

Coming off a disappointing campaign, the Hyderabad-based franchise started off on the right note as they romped past Bengaluru Bulls. Pawan Sehrawat was again the star of the night, scoring 13 points, while Krishan Dhull got a high 5. Surinder Singh’s high 5 was the lone bright spot for the Bulls.

Which two teams will play the opening fixture of Pro Kabaddi League Season 12? Do let us know your predictions in the comments.

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