After three seasons of raw competition and close encounters, the fourth season of Premier Badminton League (PBL) will soon begin. However, the league has been raised a notch higher as there will be nine teams this year with the addition of Pune 7 Aces.
The upcoming edition will boast of 90 players from 17 nations including eight Olympic medallists and eight players from the top 10 rankings. The 23-day event will be played across five venues, consisting of Ahmedabad and Pune who will be hosting matches for the first time.
PBL will witness an encounter between nine teams — Delhi Dashers, Ahmedabad Smash Masters, Awadhe Warriors, Bengaluru Raptors, Mumbai Rockets, Hyderabad Hunters, Chennai Smashes, North Eastern Warriors and Pune 7 Aces. The teams will battle out for the title and prize purse of ₹6 crore with initial rounds being held in Mumbai and later continued by Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad and semis and finals in Bengaluru.
Talking about the same, 2018 World Champion Carolina Marin, said, "I love coming to India for PBL. Two years of playing for Hyderabad has been very special and I'm looking forward to my journey with the Pune 7 Aces. As for the match against (P.V.) Sindhu, both of us will want to win our tie. My job is to play to the best of my ability and I will certainly give her no room.”
Hyderabad Hunters: Team Captain: PV Sindhu
Mumbai Rockets: Team Captain: Lee Yong Dae
North Eastern Warriors: Team Captain: Saina Nehwal
Pune 7 Aces: Team Captain: Mathias Boe
Chennai Smashers: Team Captain: Sung Ji Hyun
Ahmedabad Smash Masters: Team Captain: Viktor Axelsen
Awadhe Warriors: Team Captain: Son Wan Ho
Bengaluru Raptors: Team Captain: K Srikanth
Delhi Dashers: Team Captain: HS Prannoy
Here's the schedule for the 2019 season: