A country which is obsessed with Cricket, Pro Kabaddi League inaugural season proved to be a massive hit in India. Pro Kabaddi League Season 1 saw eight teams battling it out for the coveted title. A league Influenced by Indian Premier League, the inaugural season of Pro Kabaddi went on to become the second most-watched sporting event in the country.
The first season of Pro Kabaddi League was organized from 26th July to 31st August 2014 in Mumbai. Season one of Pro Kabaddi was watched by 435 million viewers, with a large number of rural and metropolitan people attracting most of the viewership.
PLAYER AUCTION:
The auction for the first season of Pro Kabaddi League season one was held on 20th May 2014 in Mumbai. India’s national Kabaddi captain Rakesh Kumar earned the biggest bid of Rs.12.80 lakh by Patna Pirates. While Deepak Niwas Hooda was bought by Telugu Titans for Rs.12.90 lakhs. Mostafa Noudehi was the highest overseas bid worth Rs. 6.6 lakhs by Puneri Paltan franchise.
FORMAT:
The tournament was organized in a round-robin format along with semi-finals and final. As many as 60 matches were held, including the four play-offs. As many as eight teams took part in the tournament which began on 26th July with U Mumba taking on Jaipur Pink Panthers in the first match of Pro Kabaddi League, while the final was played on August 31 at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Indoor Stadium, Mumbai, by the same teams as well.
TEAMS PLAYED:
| Team | Location | Stadium |
| Bengal Warriors | Kolkata | Netaji Indoor Stadium |
| Bengaluru Bulls | Bengaluru | Kanteerava Indoor Stadium |
| Dabang Delhi | Delhi | Thyagaraj Sports Complex |
| Jaipur Pink Panthers | Jaipur | Sawai Mansingh Stadium |
| Patna Pirates | Patna | Patliputra Sports Complex |
| Puneri Paltan | Pune | Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex |
| Telugu Titans | Visakhapatnam | Port Trust Diamond Jubilee Stadium |
| U Mumba | Mumbai | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Indoor Stadium, Mumbai |
RESULT:
| Team | Played | W | L | D | SD | Pts |
| Jaipur Pink Panthers (C) | 14 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 100 | 54 |
| U Mumba (R) | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 59 | 51 |
| Bengaluru Bulls (4) | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 36 | 47 |
| Patna Pirates (3) | 14 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 18 | 45 |
| Telugu Titans | 14 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 26 | 42 |
| Dabang Delhi | 14 | 5 | 8 | 1 | -27 | 32 |
| Bengal Warriors | 14 | 4 | 9 | 1 | -85 | 24 |
| Puneri Paltan | 14 | 2 | 12 | 0 | -127 | 17 |
WHICH TEAMS WENT TO THE PLAYOFFS?
| Team | Played | W | L | D | SD | Pts |
| Jaipur Pink Panthers (C) | 14 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 100 | 54 |
| U Mumba (R) | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 59 | 51 |
| Bengaluru Bulls (4) | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 36 | 47 |
| Patna Pirates (3) | 14 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 18 | 45 |
Four teams, namely, Jaipur Pink Panthers, U Mumba, Bengaluru Bulls, and Patna Pirates advanced into the playoffs. All the matches were played at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Indoor Stadium, Mumbai.
PRO KABADDI LEAGUE SEASON 1, SEMI-FINAL 1:
Jaipur Pink Panthers and Patna Pirates faced each other in the first semi-final on 29th August 2014. Jaipur Pink Panthers won the match.
Jaipur Pink Panthers 38-18 Patna Pirates
PRO KABADDI LEAGUE SEASON 1, SEMI-FINAL 2:
U Mumba and Bengaluru Bulls squared up against each other in the second semi-final on the same date. U Mumba emerged triumphantly.
U Mumba 27- 23 Bengaluru Bulls
PRO KABADDI SEASON ONE THIRD PLACE:
Patna Pirates and Bengaluru Bulls played against each other for the third place on 31st August 2014. Patna Pirates proved victorious.
Patna Pirates 29 – 22 Bengaluru Bulls
PRO KABADDI SEASON 1 FINAL:
The inaugural season of Pro Kabaddi League saw Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba play against each other in the final on 31st August 2014. Jaipur Pink Panthers emerged on top and went on to clinch the trophy. Jaipur registered their name in the history of Pro Kabaddi, being the first winners.
Jaipur Pink Panther 35-24 U Mumba
Top 5 RAIDERS:
| No. | Player | Team | Points |
| 1 | Anup Kumar | U Mumba | 155 |
| 2 | Rahul Chaudhari | Telugu Titans | 151 |
| 3 | Maninder Singh | Jaipur Pink Panthers | 130 |
| 4 | Ajay Thakur | Bengaluru Bulls | 122 |
| 5 | Kashiling Adake | Dabang Delhi | 113 |
| 6. | Surjeet Narwal | Dabang Delhi | 113 |
Anup Kumar playing for U Mumba was the best raider in the tournament, claiming 155 points. Rahul Chaudhari fell 4 points short of him with 151 points, followed by Maninder Singh, Ajay Thakur, and Kashiling Adake in the third, fourth, and fifth position respectively.
TOP 5 DEFENDERS:
| No. | Player | Team | Points |
| 1. | Manjeet Chhillar | Bengaluru Bulls | 51 |
| 2. | Surender Nada | U Mumba | 51 |
| 3. | Dharmaraj Cheralathan | Bengaluru Bulls | 39 |
| 4. | Rohit Rana | Jaipur Pink Panthers | 38 |
| 5. | Jasmer Singh Gulia | Dabang Delhi | 38 |
Currently playing for Tamil Thalaivas, Manjeet Chhillar was the best defender in the inaugural tournament with 51 tackle points, followed by Surender Nada (51), Dharmaraj Cheralathan (39), and Rohit Rana (38) in the second, third, and fourth position respectively.
