'I used to play kabaddi in my colony,' reveals ex-Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri

Kabaddi fever is in the air as the milestone Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 is just around the corner with the new campaign set to begin in Ahmedabad on December 2, 2023. Superstars from all 12 franchises are ready to entertain kabaddi lovers in each of the respective team's home cities in the upcoming edition.

Ahead of PKL Season 10, former Indian cricketers Ravi Shastri and Sanjay Manjrekar reminisced about their own experience of playing as well as watching kabaddi in Mumbai. "I used to play kabaddi in my colony. It was a lot of fun to play the game because we used to play in the evening. Everyone from the colony used to come together to play. And a group of 50 people used to watch our games," said Shastri.

Shastri also touched on the importance of fitness in kabaddi. "A good fitness level is very important for kabaddi. Core strength and lower body are very important," he said.

Meanwhile, another former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar spoke about the night kabaddi culture in Mumbai. "A very competitive night kabaddi used to take place and a lot of people used to go and watch the games in Mumbai. I also used to go and watch the games along with the huge crowd," he revealed.

Manjrekar went on to add that he found facing fast bowlers easier than playing kabaddi. "This is a contact sport. I found it easier to wear a helmet and face fast bowling than playing kabaddi. One requires flexibility, strength and smartness for this sport," he said.

Season 10 of Pro Kabaddi will begin on December 2 with Gujarat Giants facing Tamil Thalaivas in the opening match of the new campaign. The Ahmedabad leg will be held from 2 to 7 December 2023. Thereafter, the league will move to the rest of the 11 cities of the other PKL franchises in the following order of venues: 

Bengaluru (8-13 December 2023)

Pune (15-20 December 2023)

Chennai (22-27 December 2023)

Noida (29 December 2023 - 3 January 2024)

Mumbai (5-10 January 2024)

Jaipur (12-17 January 2024)

Hyderabad (19-24 January 2024)

Patna (26-31 January 2024)

Delhi (2-7 February 2024)

Kolkata (9-14 February 2024)

Panchkula (16-21 February)

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