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Despite the huge popularity of Kabaddi in Tamil Nadu, the state did not have a team playing in the Pro Kabaddi League for the first four seasons. That is set to change with the Tamil Thalaivas entering the fray in the expanded 5th edition. The Thalaivas are sure to attract a large support base due to the team being partly owned by cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. The star power does not stop there though, with renowned actor Kamal Hassan roped in as the brand ambassador of the franchise.
The team from Tamil Nadu has been slotted in Zone B, along with Bengal Warriors, Bengaluru Bulls, Patna Pirates, Telugu Titans, and UP Yoddha.
The owners of the new side have gone for youth over experience, with 16 out of 25 members of the squad being first-timers in the league. The reason given by the management for this is the ease with which the fitness of young players can be managed in what will be a long season. The most high-profile player signed by the Thalaivas is the hero of India's 2016 World Cup triumph, raider Ajay Thakur. Other players of note are defenders Amit Hooda and C Arun and South Korea's Dong Geon Lee.
Shepherding the young team will be coach Kasinathan Bhaskaran, former captain of the Indian Kabaddi team. In the Pro Kabaddi League, Bhaskaran has formerly coached Jaipur Pink Panthers in Season 1 and Puneri Paltan in Season 4.
Though Bhaskaran's initial goal for the team is the qualification for the playoffs, Kabaddi fans in Tamil Nadu will be hoping for a fairy tale finish from the Thalaivas' young side.
Below is the schedule of Tamil Thalaivas' matches in the league stage. Apart from these, one more inter-zonal match will be played, details of which will be decided by a wildcard.
Match #1
Date: 28 July
Opponent: Telugu Titans
City: Hyderabad
Timing (IST): 20:00
Match #2
Date: 4 August
Opponent: Bengaluru Bulls
City: Nagpur
Timing (IST): 20:00
Match #3
Date: 10 August
Opponent: Bengaluru Bulls
City: Nagpur
Timing (IST): 21:00
Also read: Ajay Thakur: 10 things you need to know about him
Match #4
Date: 16 August
Opponent: Haryana Steelers
City: Ahmedabad
Timing (IST): 20:00
Match #5
Date: 17 August
Opponent: Dabang Delhi K.C
City: Ahmedabad
Timing (IST): 20:00
Match #6
Date: 23 August
Opponent: August Yoddha
City: Lucknow
Timing (IST): 21:00
Also read: Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: Five teams with the weakest attacks
Match #7
Date: 26 August
Opponent: Patna Pirates
City: Mumbai
Timing (IST): 20:00
Match #8
Date: 31 August
Opponent: Telugu Titans
City: Mumbai
Timing (IST): 20:00
Match #9
Date: 3 September
Opponent: Bengal Warriors
City: Kolkata
Timing (IST): 21:00
Match #10
Date: 13 September
Opponent: UP Yoddha
City: Sonepat
Timing (IST): 20:00
Match #11
Date: 20 September
Opponent: Patna Pirates
City: Ranchi
Timing (IST): 20:00
Match #12
Date: 24 September
Opponent: Bengal Warriors
City: New Delhi
Timing (IST): 20:00
Also read: 5 times kabaddi players were arrested
Match #13
Date: 26 September
Opponent: Gujarat Fortunegiants
City: New Delhi
Timing (IST): 20:00
Match #14
Date: 29 September
Opponent: Puneri Paltan
City: Chennai
Timing (IST): 20:00
Also read: Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: List of all team captains
Match #15
Date: 30 September
Opponent: Jaipur Pink Panther
City: Chennai
Timing (IST): 21:00
Also read: 10 best Pro-kabaddi players
Match #16
Date: 1 October
Opponent: U Mumba
City: Chennai
Timing (IST): 21:00
Match #17
Date: 3 October
Opponent: Telugu Titans
City: Chennai
Timing (IST): 21:00
Match #18
Date: 4 October
Opponent: UP Yoddha
City: Chennai
Timing (IST): 21:00
Also read: Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: UP Yoddha predicted starting line up
Match #19
Date: 5 October
Opponent: Bengaluru Bulls
City: Chennai
Timing (IST): 20:00
Match #20
Date: 13 October
Opponent: Bengal Warriors
City: Pune
Timing (IST): 21:00
Match #21
Date: 14 October
Opponent: Patna Pirates
City: Pune
Timing (IST): 20:00
Download PDF link: Tamil Thalaivas schedule download here
Also read: 10 best Pro-kabaddi all-rounders
