Indian Badminton League premiers today

Zee Media Bureau/Manushree Chaumal

New Delhi: It’s time for badminton fans to gear up for the badminton league! Starting today, the much anticipated $1 million Indian Badminton League, is set to begin. Krrish Delhi Smashers will take on Pune Pistons today in Delhi at the Siri Fort Stadium. Delhi Smashers is led by icon player Jwala Gutta while Ashwini Ponappa is the icon payer for Pune Piston. Excitement is brewing high, and the cash-rich league has top-notch players competing with each other. London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal, Parupalli Kashyap, Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, PV Sindhu, World no. 1 Lee Chong Wei, Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat and reigning All England winner Tine Baun will all be in action in the next 18 days. The prize money is breathtaking. The winners take away Rs 3.5 crore and the runners up Rs 2 crore. Based on format of the Sudirman Cup, the six franchises will face-off in two men’s singles, one women’s singles, one men’s doubles and one mixed doubles match which will be played back-to-back through the next two weeks. Changes have been made in the regular scoring pattern too. The usual two-point difference is not required to win the game. There will be two games of 21 points, and the decider will be a 11point tie-break. It remains to be seen though, how the League will be accepted by the sports enthusiasts.