Defending champions Ahmedabad Defenders will have their sights set on retaining the title, when they take the court for their Prime Volleyball League 2024 campaign. The third edition of PVL features nine franchises, and will be held at the SDAT Multi-Purpose Indoor Stadium in Chennai starting Thursday, February 15. The opening match-up will see Ahmedabad taking on hosts Chennai Blitz. (More Volleyball News)
Preview, Teams
Ahmedabad captain Muthusamy Appavu made it abundantly clear that his franchise will be gunning to make it two titles in a row. "There is always pressure when you enter the tournament as the defending champions. It puts a target on your back. But it also motivates the players in equal measure and we are eager to showcase our skills once again. We have a new coach, the vastly experienced Dragan Mihailovic Sir, and we have had a tremendous pre-season. Now it is all about the execution of our plans," the skipper said at the pre-season press conference.
Meanwhile, Chennai captain Akhin GS said his side will have an advantage with the home crowd support and will rely on the noise from the fans. "The coach of the previous season's winners Dakshinamoorthy Sir has been a major boost for us this season. We feel confident that we are on the right track entering the first game. We also expect a lot of support from the home crowd and we expect them to pack the stands in huge numbers and make their voices heard. Their support will help us go a long way," he added.
Bengaluru Torpedoes, Calicut Heroes, Delhi Toofans, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Kochi Blue Spikers, Kolkata Thunderbolts and Mumbai Meteors are the other seven teams vying for the coveted trophy, with the final slated to be held on March 21.
Bengaluru and Kolkata have retained Pankaj Sharma and Ashwal Rai, respectively as their captains for the coming season. "Despite all the challenges last season, we managed to reach the final and were just inches away from grabbing the trophy. This year, we will give it all to ensure we get our hands on the title," Pankaj said.
Ashwal reflected a similar optimism, saying: "We know what it takes to be a champion and all our players are training with a similar mindset. We want to be the first team to win the trophy twice, and we are confident we will achieve our target."
Meanwhile, Calicut Heroes announced Jerome Vinith as the skipper for the season, while Hyderabad Black Hawks named the veteran Ranjit Singh as the captain. Kochi Blue Spikers handed over the reins to Jithin N, Mumbai Meteors named Hardeep Singh as captain, and the new franchise Delhi Toofans picked Saqlain Tariq to lead the franchise in season 3.
Format, Schedule
The league phase will see each team taking on the other eight between February 15 and March 10 across 36 games. Post that, the top five teams will proceed to the Super 5s, which will take place between March 11 and March 18 in a round-robin format to ascertain the top three.
The side that finishes on top in the Super 5s will qualify directly for the final, and the franchises that end up in the second and third spots will go through an Eliminator on March 19. Whoever wins the Eliminator will proceed to the final.
Live Streaming, TV Telecast Details
The third edition of Prime Volleyball League will be broadcast on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD and HD, Sony Ten 3 SD and HD (Hindi) and Sony Ten 4 SD and HD (Tamil and Telugu) TV channels in India. PVL 2024 will also be live streamed on the Sony LIV app and website in India.
Fixtures (all timings in IST)
League Phase
February 15: Ahmedabad Defenders vs Chennai Blitz - 6:30pm; Bengaluru Torpedoes vs Kolkata Thunderbolts - 8:30pm
February 16: Mumbai Meteors vs Delhi Toofans - 6:30pm; Kochi Blue Spikers vs Calicut Heroes - 8:30pm
February 17: Chennai Blitz vs Hyderabad Black Hawks - 6:30pm
February 18: Ahmedabad Defenders vs Kolkata Thunderbolts - 6:30pm; Bengaluru Torpedoes vs Delhi Toofans - 8:30pm
February 19: Mumbai Meteors vs Hyderabad Black Hawks - 6:30pm
February 20: Chennai Blitz vs Kochi Blue Spikers - 6:30pm
February 21: Bengaluru Torpedoes vs Mumbai Meteors - 6:30pm
February 22: Kolkata Thunderbolts vs Chennai Blitz - 6:30pm; Ahmedabad Defenders vs Hyderabad Black Hawks - 8:30pm
February 23: Calicut Heroes vs Delhi Toofans - 6:30pm; Bengaluru Torpedoes vs Kochi Blue Spikers - 8:30pm
February 25: Kolkata Thunderbolts vs Calicut Heroes - 6:30pm; Mumbai Meteors vs Kochi Blue Spikers - 8:30pm
February 26: Delhi Toofans vs Hyderabad Black Hawks - 6:30pm; Bengaluru Torpedoes vs Ahmedabad Defenders - 8:30pm
February 27: Kolkata Thunderbolts vs Kochi Blue Spikers - 6:30pm
February 28: Calicut Heroes vs Mumbai Meteors - 6:30pm
February 29: Kolkata Thunderbolts vs Hyderabad Black Hawks - 6:30pm
March 1: Delhi Toofans vs Chennai Blitz - 6:30pm; Mumbai Meteors vs Ahmedabad Defenders - 8:30pm
March 2: Hyderabad Black Hawks vs Calicut Heroes - 6:30pm
March 3: Kolkata Thunderbolts vs Delhi Toofans - 6:30pm; Ahmedabad Defenders vs Kochi Blue Spikers - 8:30pm
March 4: Hyderabad Black Hawks vs Bengaluru Torpedoes - 6:30pm; Mumbai Meteors v Chennai Blitz - 8:30pm
March 5: Kochi Blue Spikers vs Delhi Toofans - 6:30pm
March 6: Bengaluru Torpedoes vs Calicut Heroes - 6:30pm
March 7: Kolkata Thunderbolts vs Mumbai Meteors - 6:30pm
March 8: Bengaluru Torpedoes vs Chennai Blitz - 6:30pm; Ahmedabad Defenders vs Calicut Heroes - 8:30pm
March 9: Hyderabad Black Hawks vs Kochi Blue Spikers - 6:30pm
March 10: Chennai Blitz vs Calicut Heroes - 6:30pm; Ahmedabad Defenders vs Delhi Toofans - 8:30pm
Super 5s: From March 11 to March 18
Eliminator: March 19, 6:30pm
Final: March 21, 6:30pm
