The fourth edition of the star-studded Premier Badminton League (PBL) will begin on 22 December at The National Sports Club of India in Mumbai.
The tournament which previously had eight participating team has added a new Pune-based franchise - Pune 7 Aces - co-owned by bollywood actress Tapsee Pannu and Mumbai-based entertainment company KRI Talent, taking the total number of teams to nine.
Here's everything you need to know about the tournament.
What has happened so far
The Indian Badminton League in August 2013 was a precursor to the PBL.
Two years later, the first Premier Badminton League was played In August 2016. Delhi Acers won the first season, beating Mumbai Rockets (4-3) in the final. Chennai-based franchise Chennai Rockets won the second edition in January 2017, as Mumbai Rockets lost its second consecutive final.
The third season of the PBL started on 23 Decemeber 2017 and concluded on 14 January 2018. Hyderabad Hunters emerged champion after beating Bengaluru Blasters (now Bengaluru Raptors) in the final.
The format
All teams will play six league matches and the top four will advance to the semifinals.
Each match will consist of five games - two men’s singles, one women’s singles, one men’s doubles and one mixed doubles game. Each game will be of 15 points.
The tournament will be played in five legs in five different cities - Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru. Bengaluru will also host the semifinals and final.
Prize Money – Rs 6 crore
Schedule
Mumbai, Dome NSCI SVP Stadium
22 Dec, Saturday:
Pune 7 Aces vs Hyderabad Hunters – 7:00 pm
23 Dec, Sunday:
Mumbai Rockets vs Delhi Dashers – 4:00 pm
Ahmedabad Smash Masters vs North Eastern Warriors – 7:00 pm
24 Dec, Monday:
Pune 7 Aces vs Awadhe Warriors – 7:00 pm
Hyderabad, Gachibowli Indoor Stadium
25 Dec, Tuesday:
Hyderabad Hunters vs Chennai Smashers – 7:00 pm
26 Dec, Wednesday:
Delhi Dashers vs Ahmedabad Smash Masters – 7:00 pm
27 Dec, Thursday:
North Eastern Warriors vs Mumbai Rockets – 7:00 pm
28 Dec, Friday:
Ahmedabad Smash Masters vs Bengaluru Raptors – 4:00 pm
Hyderabad Hunters vs Awadhe Warriors – 7:00 pm
Pune, Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex
29 Dec, Saturday:
Pune 7 Aces vs Mumbai Rockets – 4:00 pm
North Eastern Warriors vs Delhi Dashers – 7:00 pm
30 Dec, Sunday:
Ahmedabad Smash Masters vs Chennai Smashers – 4:00 pm
Pune 7 Aces vs Bengaluru Raptors – 7:00 pm
31 Dec, Monday:
Awadhe Warriors vs Mumbai Rockets – 7:00 pm
1 Jan, Tuesday:
Hyderabad Hunters vs North Eastern Warriors – 7:00 pm
Ahmedabad, The Arena by TransStadia
2 Jan, Wednesday:
Delhi Dashers vs Bengaluru Raptors – 7:00 pm
3 Jan, Thursday:
Pune 7 Aces vs Chennai Smashers – 7:00 pm
4 Jan, Friday:
Ahmedabad Smash Masters vs Awadhe Warriors – 7:00 pm
5 Jan, Saturday:
Mumbai Rockets vs Chennai Smashers - 4:00 pm
Bengaluru Raptors vs North Eastern Warriors – 7:00 pm
6 Jan, Sunday:
Delhi Dashers vs Pune 7 Aces – 4:00 pm
Ahmedabad Smash Masters vs Hyderabad Hunters – 7:00 pm
Bengaluru, Sree Kanteerva Indoor Stadium
7 Jan, Monday:
Awadhe Warriors vs Chennai Smashers – 7:00 pm
8 Jan, Tuesday:
Mumbai Rockets Vs Bengaluru Raptors – 7:00 pm
9 Jan, Wednesday:
Hyderabad Hunters vs Delhi Dashers – 4:00 pm
Awadhe Warriors vs North Eastern Warriors - 7:00 pm
10 Jan, Thursday:
Bengaluru Raptors Vs Chennai Smashers – 7:00 pm
Semifinals
11 Jan, Friday: Semifinal 1: TBD vs TBD – 7:00 pm
12 Jan, Saturday: Semifinal 2: TBD vs TBD – 7:00 pm
Final
13 Jan, Sunday: TBD vs TBD – 7:00 pm
Squads
Pune 7 Aces
North Eastern Warriors
Mumbai Rockets
Hyderabad Hunters
Delhi Dashers
Chennai Smashers
Bengaluru Raptors
Awadhe Warriors
Ahmedabad Smash Masters
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