The Premier Badminton League (PBL), after a long wait, will finally take shape from 2 January 2016 with badminton fans set to be entertained over the next fortnight.
Top-class shuttlers such as Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth, Lee Chong Wei, Rajiv Ouseph, Tommy Sugiarto are going to be the major attractions in the league. Some big names of world badminton like Lin Dan and Carolina Marin will not be present in the competition, but there is plenty of Indian interest, as the local players will be eager to create an impression and earn a name for themselves.
A total of 60 players will be participating in the second edition of the PBL, which comprises of six teams -- Delhi Acers, Hyderabad Hunters, Mumbai Rockets, Awadhe Warriors , Bengaluru Topguns and Chennai Smashers -- vying for the prestigious title.
On paper, all the teams are fairly well-balanced with each side possessing a few big names. Delhi Acers have Ajay Jayaram and Tommy Sugiarto, Hyderabad Hunters (Kashyap and Lee Chong Wei), Mumbai Rockets (Mathias Bose, Prannoy Kumar), Awadhe Warriors (Saina Nehwal, B Sai Praneeth), Bengaluru Topguns (Kidambi Srikanth, Ashwini Ponnappa) and Chennai Smashers (PV Sindhu, Brice Leverdez).
With such quality players in the competition, the PBL promises to be full of entertainment.
2016 Premier Badminton League schedule
Teams: Delhi Acers, Hyderabad Hunters, Mumbai Rockets, Awadhe Warriors , Bengaluru Topguns and Chennai Smashers
Date : 2 – 17 January
TV listings – Star Sports (India)
Fox Sports (Hong Kong)
Date | Venue | Afternoon Tie | Evening Tie |
---|---|---|---|
2nd January 2016 | Mumbai | - | Mumbai - Lucknow |
3rd January 2016 | Mumbai | Hyderabad - Bangalore | Mumbai - Chennai |
4th January 2016 | Lucknow | - | Lucknow - Delhi |
5th January 2016 | Lucknow | Chennai - Delhi | Mumbai - Bangalore |
6th January 2016 | Lucknow | - | Lucknow - Bangalore |
7th January 2016 | New Delhi | - | Delhi - Hyderabad |
8th January 2016 | New Delhi | - | Delhi - Bangalore |
9th January 2016 | Hyderabad | - | Lucknow - Hyderabad |
10th January 2016 | Hyderabad | - | Chennai - Hyderabad |
11th January 2016 | Hyderabad | Mumbai - Hyderabad | Lucknow - Chennai |
13th January 2016 | Bangalore | Mumbai - Delhi | Chennai - Bangalore |
14th January 2016 | Bangalore | - | Semifinals - 1 |
15th January 2016 | Hyderabad | - | Semifinals - 2 |
16th January 2016 | New Delhi | Function | Function |
17th January 2016 | New Delhi | - | Finals |