Pro Kabaddi League 2024: Who Are the Favourites to Win the Title?
by Devesh Jaganath | by Cydias Aujard
Favourites To Be Crowned 2024 PKL Champions
All odds taken from Dafabet
After starting the season as the third-favourites in the betting markets, the Haryana Steelers are now at the top of the betting charts, inserted as the clear frontrunners at odds of 3.50 . The Steelers were last season's beaten finalists and strengthened their team during the offseason by signing Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh to enhance what was the best defence under the guidance of coach Manpreet Singh. With nine games now complete, the Steelers are atop the table with 36 points, including seven wins and two losses.
Second in the PKL outright odds are the defending champions, Puneri Paltan at 4.30 . Head coach BC Ramesh has retained the same core squad that lifted their inaugural title in 2023-24, with the exception of Mohammad Chiyaneh, who switched allegiance to the Steelers. Paltan have brought in Mohit Goyat to fill the void left by Chiyaneh but the team's style of play remains one of the most expansive in the league and they are just three points off the league leaders after nine games.
Perhaps a bit of a controversial pick at number three, but the Jaipur Panthers are starting to look like a dark horse in the pack after undergoing a fairly big overhaul in the offseason. Last season's semi-finalists, currently 7.70 in the betting market, lost two key defensive players in Sunil and Sahul Kumar, but they did manage to secure the services of veteran Surjeet Singh while retaining the services of star raiders Arjun Deshwal and rookie Abhijeet Malik. The Panthers are currently seventh in the points table with four wins, three losses and one draw, but we're expecting a big push from them over the coming weeks.
Bet on the 2024 PKL winnerChallengers for the 2024 PKL Title
Leading the chasing pack for the 2024 PKL title at 10.0 are Season 2 winners U Mumba, who look like they can mount a serious challenge with Suni Kumar, formerly of the Panthers, now serving as their captain. The Mumbai-based outfit have made a solid start to the season, racking up 29 points in their first nine games, while their star raider Ajit Chouhan has already bagged them 83 raid points, which is the fifth-most in the league this year.
Next up, despite finishing 12th last season, are the Telegu Titans, who have clearly learned from their mistakes last term and have made significant changes which look to be serving them very well. The Titans, now priced at 12.0 , acquired Ashish Narwal for this campaign and also brought back Pawan Sehrawat - a move which so far has been a masterstroke with the 28-year-old currently ranked fourth among the top raiders with 88 raid points in eight matches.
Rounding out the list of challengers for this season's title are the Patna Pirates at 13.0 . Widely considered the Chennai Super Kings of the PKL, the Pirates possess arguably the most well-balanced side in the league this season, and that is a major compliment considering that they lost two of their best players in Sachin Tanwar and Krishan Dhull during the pre-season auction. Devank Dalal has stepped up in a big way for the side, currently the second-highest in raid points behind Delhi's Ashu Malik.
Odds to Win the 2024 PKL Title
- Haryana Steelers - 3.50
- Puneri Paltan - 4.30
- Jaipur Pink Panthers - 7.77
- U Mumba - 10.0
- Telugu Titans - 12.0
- Patna Pirates - 13.0
- Dabang Delhi KC - 13.0
- UP Yoddhas - 15.0
- Tamil Thalaivas - 17.0
- Bengal Warriors - 21.0
- Bengaluru Bulls - 101.0
- Gujarat Titans - 151.0
2024 PKL: Player Props
We saw plenty of headline moves during the PKL 2024 auction, from the Telegu Titans splashing out millions on multiple players, to the likes of the Pirates, who were active but also strategic in their acquisitions. But the key questions are: Who have made the best moves and which players have lived up to the billing? Let's take a look at the current top performers in the 2024 PKL.
PKL Top Defenders 2024
| Rank | Player | Team | Tackle Points | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gaurav Khatri | Puneri Paltan | 37 | 9 |
| 2 | Mohammadreza Chiyaneh | Steelers | 31 | 9 |
| 3 | Sumit Sangwan | UP Yoddhas | 29 | 8 |
| 4 | Rahul Sethpal | Steelers | 29 | 9 |
| 5 | Jitender Yadav | Gujarat Giants | 27 | 8 |
PKL Top Raiders 2024
| Rank | Player | Team | Raid Points | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashu Malik | Dabang Delhi KC | 114 | 10 |
| 2 | Devank Dalal | Patna Pirates | 100 | 9 |
| 3 | Arjun Deshwal | Jaipur Panthers | 91 | 8 |
| 4 | Pawan Sehrawat | Telugu Titans | 88 | 8 |
| 5 | Ajit Chouhan | U Mumba | 83 | 9 |
Player prop betting has been suspended for the moment with plenty of matches still to be played, but you can view all the available betting markets with Dafabet throughout the 2024 season.
