There is no Pro Kabaddi League season under way yet. The 13th season has no confirmed start date: the league’s broadcast deal with Star Sports ended in 2025 and had not been renewed as of September, while the Asian Games kabaddi event ran from 21 to 26 September, Khel Now reported. Reports in August had pointed to a player auction in the second half of October and a season starting around the end of December, but the league has not announced either.
So for Chennai fans, the latest full season to look back on is Season 12, played from 29 August to 31 October 2025. Here is how Tamil Thalaivas fared, where they play in the city, and how kabaddi is organised below the professional league.
Tamil Thalaivas in Season 12
Thalaivas’ official team profile shows six wins and twelve defeats from 18 matches, and the side did not reach the playoffs. The season was played in four city legs: Visakhapatnam, Jaipur, Chennai and Delhi. Dabang Delhi K.C. won the title, beating Puneri Paltan 31-28 in the final in Delhi on 31 October 2025.
Arjun Deshwal captained the side, according to the league’s Chennai leg preview. The home leg was the bright spot of a difficult season: four games, two wins.
| Date (2025) | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct | U Mumba | Lost 24-42 |
| 3 Oct | Haryana Steelers | Won 45-33 |
| 5 Oct | Bengaluru Bulls | Lost 29-33 |
| 7 Oct | Patna Pirates | Won 56-37 |
Where PKL is played in Chennai
The Season 12 Chennai leg ran from 29 September to 10 October 2025 at the SDAT Multipurpose Indoor Stadium, the league’s first visit to the city in two years, the league said. The team profile lists this stadium as Thalaivas’ home venue. It is part of the SDAT complex at Periamet, next to Nehru Stadium, and the state’s 2024-25 sports policy note records that the Season 10 Chennai matches were held there from 19 to 28 December 2023.
In 2025, tickets for the Chennai leg were sold on District by Zomato, and matches were shown on Star Sports and JioHotstar. With no broadcaster confirmed for Season 13, ticketing and broadcast arrangements for the next home leg may well be different. Watch the league’s official site for the announcement, and buy only from the platform it names.
Kabaddi below the PKL: the state association
Kabaddi is Tamil Nadu’s state game, as the Union Tourism Ministry’s Utsav events listing notes, and amateur competition is run by the Tamil Nadu Amateur Kabaddi Association (TNAKA), the state unit of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI). TNAKA conducts the state senior, junior and sub-junior championships, which bring district teams together each year and pick the squads that represent Tamil Nadu at the nationals.
The association’s governance has been contested in the past. A January 2019 order by AKFI’s administrator directed TNAKA to amend its constitution to match the National Sports Code and hold fresh elections under a retired judge. Check with your district kabaddi association for who currently holds office before you register a team.
For a Chennai player, the usual pathway looks like this:
- Play for a school, college, club or company team in Chennai district tournaments.
- Get picked for the Chennai district team at the state championships.
- Earn a state call-up for the nationals, which is where PKL scouts look.
Other ways in: hostels and the CM Trophy
SDAT includes kabaddi in its sports hostel trials. For 2026-27, district-level trials were held on 7 May for boys and 8 May for girls, with applications open to students in Classes 6 to 9 and Class 11, DT Next reported.
The Chief Minister’s Trophy games also include kabaddi for school, college, general public and government employee categories. In the 2023 edition, according to the 2024-25 policy note, state-level kabaddi team winners received ₹6 lakh, with ₹4.5 lakh and ₹3 lakh for second and third.
Quick answers
When does PKL Season 13 start?
No date has been officially announced as of 18 October 2026. Earlier reports pointed to late December, but the league has not confirmed it.
Where do Tamil Thalaivas play in Chennai?
At the SDAT Multipurpose Indoor Stadium in the Periamet sports complex, near Nehru Stadium.
How did Tamil Thalaivas do in Season 12?
Six wins and twelve defeats from 18 matches, with two wins in the four-match Chennai leg. They missed the playoffs.
Who runs amateur kabaddi in Tamil Nadu?
The Tamil Nadu Amateur Kabaddi Association, affiliated to the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India, through its district units.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Pro Kabaddi 2025 schedule, fixtures and results (Pro Kabaddi League)
- PKL Season 12 returns to Chennai: Tamil Thalaivas gear up for crucial home leg (Pro Kabaddi League)
- PKL Season 12 Chennai leg preview (Pro Kabaddi League)
- Tamil Thalaivas team profile (Pro Kabaddi League)
- Why the start of PKL 13 is being delayed (Khel Now)
- Order on Tamil Nadu State Amateur Kabaddi Association, 24 January 2019 (Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India)
- Tamil Nadu State Senior Kabaddi Championship (Utsav, Ministry of Tourism)
- Policy Note 2024-25, Youth Welfare and Sports Development Department (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- Apply online for admissions to SDAT’s sports hostels for 2026-27 (DT Next)
