Kabaddi set to make Australian debut in Melbourne

The second most popular sport in India after cricket is making its highly anticipated debut in Australia later this month with Melbourne to host some of the world’s best Kabaddi players in action this summer.

The Pro Kabaddi Melbourne Raid will take place at John Cain Arena on 28th December 2025.

Kabaddi is a high-energy, fast-paced contact sport where two teams of seven players battle it out by raiding the opponent’s side of the field. The aim is to tag as many defenders as possible within a 30-second raid. With matches played over 40 minutes, Kabaddi requires agility, strategy, and seamless teamwork. It’s a sport that’s thrilling to watch and will undoubtedly captivate Australian audiences.

The Kabaddi debut follows the conclusion of day three of the Boxing Day Test between Australia and India at the MCG.

The action-packed double-header will kick off with a curtain-raiser featuring a team of Australian athletes taking on an Indian team of Pro Kabaddi players.

The main event will follow, with a Pro Kabaddi All Stars game, bringing together top players from two Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) teams filled with Indian superstars.

Campbell Brown, former star of the Hawthorn and Gold Coast AFL teams, will coach the Australian team, while Josh Kennedy, former captain of the Sydney Swans, will lead the Australian side as captain, alongside other AFL greats.

Since its launch in 2014, the Pro Kabaddi League has become one of the fastest-growing sports leagues globally, attracting nearly 300 million viewers annually in India alone. Victoria is home to nearly 260,000 Indian-born residents, and more than 370,000 Victorians have Indian ancestry, making this event particularly significant for the local community.

Victoria is also the leading state in Australia for both visitation and expenditure from India. In the year ending June 2024, over 187,000 Indian visitors came to Victoria, spending more than $480 million, making India the state’s second-largest market for international tourism.

In addition to the Kabaddi event, Indian folk sensation Maithili Thakur will perform her debut Australian concert at Margaret Court Arena on 1st December as part of ALWAYS LIVE 2024, further enhancing Victoria’s vibrant summer of events.

Visit Victoria Chief Executive Brendan McClements noted “Victoria is the top destination for Indian visitors, and it’s easy to see why – the Pro Kabaddi matches are part of a blockbuster summer of events, including Maithili Thakur at ALWAYS LIVE, Australia vs India at the Boxing Day Test, the Australian Open, and the NGV’s Summer Exhibition.”

Tickets for the Pro Kabaddi Melbourne Raid go on sale at 12:00pm on 12 November. Family-friendly prices start from just $10 for children, while adult tickets begin at $55.

Tickets for the Pro Kabaddi Melbourne Raid is available through Ticketmaster.