India’s teenage cricket sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi swapped his cricket whites for kabaddi action as he graced the opening night of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 12 in Visakhapatnam. The 14-year-old Rajasthan Royals prodigy, who stole headlines in IPL 2025 with his fearless batting, joined a star-studded lineup of Indian sporting icons to usher in another electrifying PKL season.
The opening ceremony featured some of India’s greatest sporting names, including badminton legend Pullela Gopichand, former hockey captain Dhanraj Pillay, and kabaddi superstar Pardeep Narwal. Suryavanshi’s presence, fresh off his breakout IPL campaign, showcased PKL’s growing influence beyond kabaddi, attracting attention from fans across multiple sports.For Suryavanshi, this was more than a guest appearance—it was a nostalgic return to his early sporting days.
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“I’ve been playing kabaddi since I was around five or six, so it felt amazing to return to the mat and watch a live match for the first time,” he shared. “While kabaddi and table tennis were part of my childhood, cricket has always been my first love. I support Patna Pirates as they’re my home team, but I also admire Bengaluru Bulls because of Pawan Sehrawat, the Hi-Flyer.”
When cricket’s next-gen met the Warriorz 🔥
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi played cricket & witnessed the Pangebaazi up close ahead of the #PKL12 Grand Opening 👏#ProKabaddi ➡ #TeluguTitans 🆚 #TamilThalaivas | LIVE NOW 👉 https://t.co/XMhPSg5sqr pic.twitter.com/Z00gNS5cQs
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) August 29, 2025
PKL Season 12 started with a bang as the Tamil Thalaivas edged out Telugu Titans 38–35 in a gripping southern derby. Arjun Deshwal starred with a Super 10, while Sehrawat added nine crucial points, silencing the home crowd despite Bharat Hooda’s fighting effort for the Titans.
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The drama peaked in the night’s second clash as Bengaluru Bulls and defending champions Puneri Paltan played out a thrilling 32–32 tie, forcing PKL’s first-ever group-stage tie-breaker. The Paltan kept their composure to win 6–4 in the decider, making history on the league’s opening night.
