The Ultimate Kho Kho (UKK) league is set for an electrifying Season 2 as six franchises selected 145 talented players, including 33 promising youngsters aged 16 to 18, during the recent Player Draft held in Bhubaneswar.
NextGen Dominates Ultimate Kho Kho Season 2 Players Draft: Six franchises spend ₹3.9 crore to select 145 players; 33 players are in the range of 16 to 18 years of age
Teams infused their squads with youthful energy and speed, making strategic decisions to nurture emerging talent. Mumbai Khiladis secured the services of 16-year-old Odisha sensation Sunil Patra, while 17-year-olds M Mugilan from Puducherry and Ganesh Borkar from Maharashtra were snapped up by Chennai Quick Guns and Rajasthan Warriors, respectively.
“Ultimate Kho Kho will be a driving force for young Indian fans in Season 2,” remarked Tenzing Niyogi, UKK’s CEO and League Commissioner. “From a total pool of 272 players, franchises drafted 145. What makes this truly special is that 33 players in Season 2 will be young 16 to 18-year-olds. With an average age of 22.5 years, Season 2 promises to be a faster, stronger, and bolder visual spectacle for fans across the country.”
Spearheaded by Amit Burman in partnership with the Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI), Ultimate Kho Kho remains steadfast in its mission to revitalize and popularize this indigenous sport.
“The entertainment value and proficiency of Kho Kho have soared in Ultimate Kho Kho,” stated KKFI President Sudhanshu Mittal. “The second season will take it to new heights. Kho Kho has gained global recognition for its speed and entertainment value, with 38 countries now playing the sport.”
Notably, Maharashtra’s Mahesh Shinde retained his position as the first pick of the draft for the consecutive second season. The 28-year-old defender was retained by Mumbai Khiladis, which also secured Gajanan Shengal and Sreejesh S following their impressive performances in the league’s inaugural edition.
“We retained Gajanan and Sreejesh,” explained Punit Balan, co-owner of Mumbai Khiladis. “It was a fruitful draft, and around 8-10 players from Maharashtra will play for Mumbai Khiladis. We have also picked some of the players who were part of the team last season. Technique and young legs are crucial in this fast-paced game. Keeping such combinations in mind, we have formed a 26-player squad for the upcoming season, and I hope they perform exceptionally well.”
Defending champions Odisha Juggernauts also struck a balance between youthful exuberance and seasoned experience in their squad selection.
“As defending champions, we had a formidable team last year, so we retained our key players,” commented Lilan Prasad Sahu, OSD, Dept of Sports and Youth Affairs, Govt of Odisha. “Kho Kho is a highly technical game, and we entrusted the responsibility to the coaches, thoroughly discussing it with them. We did our homework and selected a very strong team. There are many new players, including some upcoming players from Odisha as well. We are confident in defending our title.”
While retained players received ₹6 lakh each, franchises could pick their remaining players from four categories—A (₹5 lakh), B (₹3 lakh), C (₹1.5 lakh), and D (₹1 lakh). Gujarat Giants and Rajasthan Warriors drafted 25 and 22 players, respectively, to complete their squads.
“Kho Kho is a sport deeply rooted in Indian culture, and we at Adani Sportsline are committed to elevating its profile,” asserted Sanjay Adesara, CBO, Adani Sportsline, the owners of Gujarat Giants. “Last year, in the inaugural season of Ultimate Kho Kho, the Gujarat Giants had a promising season. However, this year we are aiming for the title and are doing everything we can to ensure a powerful performance. Season 2 will undoubtedly be bigger and better, and we are looking forward to supporting our players as they strive to become league champions.”
A total of 290 players from 18 states registered for the Season 2 Players Draft. Franchises spent ₹3.9 crore to draft 145 players, including 18 retained players. Star players Vijay Hajare, Adhithya Ganpule, and Laxman Gawas were among the first picks by Rajasthan Warriors (owned by Capri Global), Telugu Yoddhas, and Chennai Quick Guns (owned by KLO Sports), respectively.
Complete Squads:
Odisha Juggernauts: Dilip Khandvi (Retained), Dipesh More (Retained), Gowtham MK (Retained), Vishal (Retained), Omkar Sonawane, Rohan Shingade, Akshay Masal, Mahesha P, Manoj Patil, Avinash Desai, Manoj Kumar, Visag S, Debendra Nath, Nikhil Kumar, Vishal Oram, Sanjay Kumar V, Deepak Kumar Sahoo, Nikhil B, MD Mirajul, Sushant Kaldhone, Sobhag V Sriganda, Niranjan Samal, Savir Ahmad, Suresh Kumar and Siddheswar Tudu.
Telugu Yoddhas: Arun Gunki (Retained), Avdhut Patil (Retained), Pratik Waikar (Retained), Adhithya Ganpule, Rahul Mandal, Nikhil Waghe, Milind Chavrekar, Akash Togare, Kiran Vasave, Dhruv, Prasad Radye, Rudra Thopate, Prem Randive, Vaibhav Nippane, Sourabh Adavkar, Vijaybhai Vegad, Anukul Sarkar, M Phani Kumar, Mahamad Ujer Harun Momin, Matlum, Lipun Mukhi, Arjun Bishukarma, Prasad Patil, Bojjam Ranjith and Rajat Malik.
Chennai Quick Guns: Amit Patil (Retained), Madan (Retained), Ramji Kashyap (Retained), Laxman Gawas, Adarsh Mohite, Sachin Bhargo, Zora Suraj, Suraj Lande, Aditya Kudale, Durvesh Salunke, Chandu Chavre, Akash Kadam, Narendra Katkate, Mustafa Bagwan, Arjun Singh, Vijay Shinde, Ashish Patel, M Mugilan, Akash Balyan, Sumon Barman, Pavan Kumar and Giri S.
Rajasthan Warriors: Akshay Ganpule (Retained), Dilrajsing Sengar (Retained), Majahar Jamadar (Retained), Vijay Hajare, Jaggannath Das, Rushab Wagh, Nilesh Patil, Prajwal K H, Brahmane Vivek, Ranjan Shetty, Rejeti Surinaidu, Sourabh Gadge, Nandan D, Ganesh Borkar, Bika Chetan, Buchannagari Raju, Dhanraj P, Jagannath Murmu, Aditya Shelke, Mukesh Prajapat, Vaibhav More and Aditya KN.
Gujarat Giants: Abhinandan Patil (Retained), Akshay Bhangare (Retained), Suyash Gargate (Retained), Nilesh Jadhav, P Narasayya, Faizankha Pathan, Rajvardhan Patil, V Subramani, Deepak Madhav, Shubham Thorat, Gavara Venkatesh, Sanket Kadam, Kondhalkar Rupesh, Bharat Kumar, Pabani Sabar, Vinayak Pokarde, Ram Mohan, V Kabilan, Arnav Patankar, Alfaj H Nadaf, Vasave Ravi, Abhijit Patil, Saleem Khan, Vijesh Kumar and Harish Mohmmad.
Mumbai Khiladis: Gajanan Shengal (Retained), Sreejesh S (Retained), Mahesh Shinde, Aniket Pote, Subhasis Santra, Hrushikesh Murchavade, Rokeson Singh, P Siva Reddy, Govind Yadav, Avik Singha, Milind Kurpe, Sunil Patra, Sudheer Kumar, MD Aiman Pasha, Sagar Potdar, Rohan Kore, Komal, Pawar Sachin, Dhiraj Bhave, Debasis, Shiva, Ajay Kashyap, Pritam Chougule, Sibin M, Abhishek Pathrode and Parmar Rahul.
