The stakes for the upcoming season of Pro Kabaddi has never been higher following the announcement of a consolidated Rs. 8 crore as prize money for the fifth edition. It quadruples the prize money from Season 4 besides marking a considerable increment to Rs. 3 crore for the champions.

The runners-up will be handed Rs. 1.8 crore, while the third-placed team will win Rs. 1.2 crore. The Most Valuable Player award, which boasts the likes of Anup Kumar, Manjeet Chhillar, Rohit Kumar and Pardeep Narwal as its past winners, has also seen a boost with the upcoming season’s MVP set to bag Rs. 15 lakh.

Commenting on the highly-anticipated new season, Pro Kabaddi Commissioner Anupam Goswami said, “Even before the commencement of its fifth season, Pro Kabaddi has already traversed significant landmarks, beginning with a ground-breaking sponsorship deal, to record bids at the player auction, and now, a remarkable elevation of the consolidated prize money. The winning sum to be awarded to season 5 champions is on a par with renowned leagues, making the PKL trophy a highly-coveted one.

The ground is now set for a fierce and dynamic 13 weeks of high-octane kabaddi action.”

The first match of Season 5 will see Telugu Titans battle it out with newcomers Tamil Thalaivas before Season 2 champions U Mumba lock horns with Maharashtra rivals Puneri Paltan in the second game of the opening day on July 28 in Hyderabad. There will be there qualifiers and two eliminators before the final.

The winner of Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2 will play the first Eliminator 1. The winner of Qualifier 3 moves into the final directly and the loser has to play with the Winner of Eliminator 1 in the Eliminator 2, the winner of which goes to the final. This season will feature four new teams which include: Gujarat Fortunegiants, UP Yodhas, Tamil Thalaivas and Haryana Steelers.

In Zone A the teams are Dabang Delhi, Jaipur Pink Panthers, Puneri Paltan, U Mumba, Haryana Steelers and Gujarat Fortunegiants. While in Zone B, the teams are Telugu Titans, Bengaluru Bulls, Patna Pirates, Bengal Warriors, UP Yodhas and Tamil Thalaivas.

Star Sports Network will telecast the live action of Pro Kabaddi – Season 5.