Kabaddi league gets a shakeup
Launched on May 13, the IIPKL has given several Pro League discards a second chance Shashank Wankhede thought his professional kabaddi career was over when he did not make the cut for the sixth season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) last year. Having played for three different franchises since his debut in 2015, Wankhede had not quite been able to crack the PKL. He had played only five matches across those three seasons. Then, sometime last year, he heard about trials being conducted for a new kabaddi league being launched by a rival body to the recognised Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI), under whose aegis the PKL runs. Wankhede knew that if he was picked for the new league, it would be curtains for his PKL career. But at 36, he wasn’t getting any younger, so he decided to take a chance. Today, he is the captain of Mumbai Che Raje, one of the eight franchises of the Indo International Premier Kabaddi League (IIPKL). Launched on May 13, the IIPKL has given a second wind to the careers of a handful of PKL discards. “I’ve got a second chance, somewhat, and I’m keen…