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Pro Kabaddi was launched in the year 2014. The 10th edition of the league is about to culminate soon. The PKL 10 playoffs were preceded by a league round, where all 12 teams competed against each other twice across 12 venues.
The tournament organizers have planned a league round for every season played so far. Initially, when there were eight teams, each franchise would play 14 matches in the league stage. From Season 5 onwards, the teams increased from eight to 12, and the number of matches went up to 22 as well.
Every team aims to finish at the top of the points table, but not all can reach that position. Similarly, no team wants to finish last, but in the end, one franchise has to take the wooden spoon home.
In PKL's 10-year history, many franchises have finished last in the standings, but here's a list of six such teams which never took the wooden spoon home.
#1 U Mumba
Former champions U Mumba were among the most consistent teams in the first few editions of the Pro Kabaddi League. When Anup Kumar led the Mumbai-based franchise, they would qualify for the playoffs more often than not.
While the performance of U Mumba has declined in recent seasons, the team has still found a way to avoid the last position. This year, they finished 10th with 45 points from 22 matches.
#2 Patna Pirates
Three-time champions Patna Pirates have also never settled for the last position. The Pirates have been a part of the PKL since the first season, and they have qualified for the playoffs in only a couple of tournaments.
The first occasion was in Season 6, when they finished fourth in the Zone B standings and missed out on a spot in the playoffs by just three points. The next occasion was in Season 9, where the Pirates attained the 10th spot.
#3 Bengaluru Bulls
Bengaluru Bulls have also played in every Pro Kabaddi League season conducted so far, and in those 10 editions, the Bulls never finished last. Considering that Randhir Singh Sehrawat has been the coach in every season, it shows the Bengaluru coach's greatness.
This year, the Bulls had a forgettable outing in the PKL. They finished eighth in the points table with 53 points from 22 games.
#4 UP Yoddhas
UP Yoddhas joined the Pro Kabaddi League in Season 5. They qualified for the playoffs in each of their first five seasons. That streak came to an end in Season 10.
The Yoddhas looked completely off-color this season as they settled for the 11th position. In 22 matches, the Yoddhas managed only four wins and earned a total of 31 points.
#5 Gujarat Giants
Gujarat Giants also debuted in PKL 5. The Giants qualified for the finals in their first two seasons. After that, they have qualified for the playoffs twice but never made it to the finals.
The Giants' worst performance came in Season 7, where they finished ninth. The Ahmedabad-based Pro Kabaddi franchise won seven out of their 22 matches and ended the season with 51 points.
#6 Jaipur Pink Panthers
Defending champions Jaipur Pink Panthers haven't achieved the dubious feat of finishing last in the standings as well. The Pink Panthers were the champions of the inaugural PKL season.
They won the trophy in Season 9 as well and finished second in the Pro Kabaddi standings this season. Unfortunately for the Pink Panthers, their title defense came to an end on Wednesday evening when they lost to Haryana Steelers in the semifinals.
