The fifth edition of the Premier Badminton League (PBL) will start on January 20 with P.V. Sindhu’s team Hyderabad Hunters taking on Chennai Superstarz in Chennai.
The 2020 edition will have 24 ties to be played in 21 days in four different cities. The tournament will return to Chennai after two years.
After the first leg in Chennai, the league will move to Lucknow on Jan. 25, followed by Hyderabad, with Bengaluru being the host for the semifinals and the finals on Feb. 9.
Marquee clash
The tournament will have its marquee clash in the third leg when Hunters lock horns with Tai Tzu Ying’s Bengaluru Raptors on Jan. 31.
“I had a great time playing in PBL last time. The format of the league is very exciting, and that is why I like to play in the league. I am very excited to join Bengaluru Raptors for Season 5.
“I hope a lot of fans will come to the stadiums to watch the matches and my fans around the world will follow it on TV and online. I look forward to playing against all teams, especially against Sindhu.” Tai Tzu said.
The league will see five Olympic medallists and 15 World champions in action.
Big ticket match
Another marquee clash will be the one between Sindhu and former India Open champion Beiwen Zhang when the Hunters and Awadhe Warriors clash on Jan. 26 at Lucknow.
The seven teams —Awadhe Warriors, Bengaluru Raptors, Mumbai Rockets, Hyderabad Hunters, Chennai Superstarz, North Eastern Warriors and Pune 7 Aces — will compete for a prize purse of ₹6 crore.
