PBL 2018: 3 foreign players we are most excited about

The Premier Badminton League (PBL) might be a pan-Indian competition but it bubbles with loads of foreign talent every season. And that is one of the reasons why it has become the most popular and the most talked-about badminton league in the whole world.

Giving opportunities to non-Indian players not only helps them showcase their skills in front of the Indian crowd, but it does a lot in increasing the stature of the league as well. Thus we get to see more and more foreign players willingly joining the league every year.

With a bigger, better and more exciting Season 4, the PBL is once again back from December 22. As the opening match kicks off in Mumbai in just a few hours from now, we take a look at three of the most exciting foreign players to watch:

#1 Carolina Marin (Pune 7 Aces)

Carolina Marin has an inextricable bond with the PBL. Time and again the Olympic champion has said that she gives so much importance to this league due to the dearth of sparring partners at home during the off-season. The PBL gives the perfect opportunity to the Spanish great to fine-tune her skills before she embarks on the new season in the international circuit. And that is exactly the reason why, the three-time world champion has been a regular at the PBL.

Marin never shies away from expressing her love for India and the crowd simply loves her back. The Spaniard is thus one of the most popular badminton players to have ever played in India.

Every year, she garners the maximum support out of all the foreign players who come to ply their trade at the league.

And the former World No. 1 is coming this time after winning the World Championships for the third time in her career along with the Japan Open and the China Open titles, which itself indicates that the excitement to see her will be high. Just like every season, this time also there will be no exception -- the in-form Marin will indeed demand the most attention.

#2 Son Wan Ho (Awadhe Warriors)

After struggling for a long time and pretty much disappearing from the elite circle, Son Wan Ho is back and how! The former World No. 1 ended his two-year title drought at the Hong Kong Open in November, accounting for the current top-ranked Kento Momota on the way.

He then achieved success in his very next tournament at the Korea Masters as well. The twin victories put him back in the top echelons of men’s singles badminton and helped him qualify for the BWF World Tour, where his campaign ended in the semi-finals.

The Korean is therefore coming to play in the league with a rich vein of form and the Awadhe Warriors will be looking up to him to deliver them their first PBL title. That the World No. 5 has previously played at the PBL and is thoroughly familiar with this shorter, exciting format is another reason why he should be singled out as one of the biggest players to watch.

#3 Tommy Sugiarto (Delhi Dashers)

The Delhi franchise couldn’t have got a better time to acquire the services of their former member, Tommy Sugiarto. In a resurgent season, the Indonesian clawed his way back into the top 10, riding high on his title win at the Thailand Masters and a couple of other runner-up finishes.

The World No. 9 is currently very much showing glimpses of the form that took him to as high as No. 3 in the world rankings in the autumn of 2014.

The 30-year-old was a sensation when he made his PBL outing for the first time in the inaugural season of the pan-Indian league. Banking on his heroics, the Delhi team finished that season in title glory and Sugiarto was rightly adjudged the Most Valuable Player (Male).

Having had such a stunning record at the PBL already, Sugiarto surely can’t wait to swing back into action after being healthy and consistent for the entire year.