The stakes are high, and the excitement is palpable as the six Ultimate Kho Kho (UKK) franchisees gear up for the Season 2 Player Draft in Bhubaneswar on November 21. The inaugural season of Ultimate Kho Kho ignited a sporting frenzy, propelling it to the third-largest non-cricket league in India in terms of audience outreach.
275 players are in the fray for the Ultimate Kho Kho Season 2 Player Draft to be held on November 21
Armed with a purse of ₹3.90 crore, the six franchisees will engage in a fierce battle to secure the best talent from a pool of 275 players. The draft promises to be a thrilling spectacle, with Maharashtra dominating the player pool with 18 representatives, fresh from their triumphant victory at the recently concluded National Games held in Goa.
Promoted by Amit Burman in partnership with the Kho Kho Federation of India, UKK remains committed to its mission of revitalizing the growth of indigenous sport through greater dynamism and engagement. Each franchise will have between 20 and 35 players, with a maximum of 35 draft rounds to complete their team combinations for the second season.
While 18 players have been retained by their respective teams, the remaining players have been categorized into four categories: A, B, C, and D. Category A players are priced at ₹5 lac, Category B players will receive ₹3 lac each, and Category C and D players are valued at ₹1.5 lac and ₹1 lac, respectively. Franchisees will have the flexibility to select players based on their draft sequence and purse capacity.
The player pool of 293 players has been divided into three segments:
- Power Players: The 18 players retained by the franchisees fall into the ‘Power Players’ category.
- Pole Players: Players who were part of Season 1 but have not been retained are known as ‘Pole Players’.
- Dream Players: The new set of players recommended either by the franchisees or the Kho Kho Federation of India will be called ‘Dream Players’.
Defending champions Odisha Juggernauts have retained four players from the last season, while Chennai Quick Guns have retained three, including Player of the Tournament Ramji Kashyap and Young Player of the Tournament Madan. Gujarat Giants have retained Defender of the Tournament Abhinandan Patil along with two other players. Mumbai Khiladis have retained two of their players, Gajanan Shengal and Sreejesh S, from the previous season. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Warriors and Telugu Yoddhas have retained three players each.
The thrilling action from Season 2 will be broadcast live on Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI)’s sports channels as well as livestreamed on Sony LIV.
