The league owned by Badminton Association of India and organized by Sportzlive, the official license holders under the aegis of BAI, will be hosted this time in Chennai, Delhi, Lucknow, and Bangalore.

The auction date will soon be announced as the fifth season promises high octane action ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.Last year the Kidambi Srikanth-led Bengaluru Raptors lifted the title.

The league, which offers a total purse of Rs 6 crore, awarded the winners Bengaluru Raptors a prize money of Rs 3 crore in the previous edition as the PBL continues to spread wider footprints with every season.

“India’s prowess in badminton has been re-established once again as PV Sindhu became the first Indian to become the world champion. Sai Praneeth also brought a men’s singles medal after 36 years, signifying India’s stupendous development in the sport. The fifth season of PBL will give badminton lovers a priceless opportunity to watch these champions live,” said Himanta Biswa Sarma, President of BAI.

“It is not only singles but the dynamics have now changed with superb performances from the young brigade like Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. The two have put Indian doubles on the badminton map with their fearless display against world champions. PBL played a pivotal role in their emergence and it will be fantastic to see them weave their magic in front of home fans,” opined Atul Pande, Managing Director, SportzLive.

“The transition for Indian youngsters to the senior circuit has been brilliant and PBL has been instrumental in it. It has given confidence to the likes of Lakshya Sen, who has gone on to create fireworks even at the senior level. To see him and other rising stars perform at home in PBL5 will be one of the biggest highlights for badminton lovers of the country,” Executive Director, SportzLive Prasad Mangipudi added.