Kabaddi, now second only to cricket

Once rural sport of kabaddi may now be behind only cricket in the popularity stakes

It’s July 31, 2016 and a steady drizzle is falling over the city of Hyderabad. Outside the Gachibowli Stadium, enthusiastic fans have queued up for over two hours to watch the Patna Pirates face the Puneri Paltan in the final of the fourth edition of the Pro Kabaddi League. There are some who are willing to fork out more than the asking price for last-minute tickets, but they go back disappointed as the arena is sold out.
 
Generally, such scenes are expected only at cricket matches — not Test cricket, though — but then kabaddi has broken several such