Lucknow emerges as the centre of professional women’s volleyball as six franchises compete in India’s first national franchise-based women’s league, opening new career opportunities for Indian players.
Lucknow: In a region where cricket and kabaddi have traditionally dominated the sporting imagination, a new sporting movement is taking shape in Uttar Pradesh. The Women’s Pro Volleyball League (WPVL), India’s first national franchise-based professional league exclusively for women, is being held at the Ekana International Indoor Stadium in Lucknow from November 11 to 21, 2026. With six franchises, 17 matches and players from India and overseas, the inaugural season is bringing professional women’s volleyball into the Hindi heartland on a scale rarely seen before.
The league is part of what its organisers describe as India’s Volleyball Revolution. More importantly, it represents an attempt to create a professional ecosystem for women volleyball players, offering them opportunities to compete, earn, build public profiles and pursue the sport as a long-term career.
Lucknow’s selection as the host city carries considerable significance. Ekana Sportz City, widely recognised for its international cricket facilities, has now become the venue for a major professional women’s volleyball competition. Its fully air-conditioned indoor arena, wooden playing surface, modern lighting and seating capacity of nearly 3,000 provide an appropriate setting for the tournament.
Over 11 days, six teams will compete in 17 matches, comprising 15 league fixtures, a qualifier and the final. The competition follows a single-table round-robin format. The top-ranked team will qualify directly for the final, while the second and third-placed teams will compete in the qualifier for the remaining spot. With tickets starting at Rs 99, the organisers are also attempting to make the tournament accessible to families, students and first-time volleyball spectators.
Six franchises, one national platform
The six participating teams are Lucknow Shahi Warriors, Punjab Shernis, Mumbai Dolphins, Bengaluru Thunders, Rajasthan Queens and Hyderabad Harriers. The franchises represent different regions of the country while giving the host city a strong local connection through Lucknow Shahi Warriors.
Each team has a 14-player squad featuring an Icon player and up to two overseas athletes. The league has a combined player budget of Rs 1.5 crore, with each franchise allocated Rs 25 lakh. The allocation includes Rs 15 lakh for domestic players, Rs 7 lakh for overseas recruits and Rs 3 lakh for the Icon player.
The October 2026 player auction saw 66 players sold for a combined Rs 78.85 lakh, with five players reaching the maximum auction price of Rs 2.5 lakh.
The Icon players leading the six franchises are Roli Pathak for Lucknow Shahi Warriors, Juhi Shaw for Punjab Shernis, Anagha Radhakrishnan for Bengaluru Thunders, Shaalini Saravanan for Mumbai Dolphins, Ayushi Bhandari for Rajasthan Queens and Anusree K.P. for Hyderabad Harriers.
The participation of international players adds another dimension to the competition. Their presence provides Indian athletes an opportunity to compete alongside players with different technical approaches, playing styles and levels of international experience.
The league is being promoted by Power Spike International with the permission of the Volleyball Federation of India’s Steering Committee.
Lucknow gives women’s volleyball a new address
The most striking aspect of the WPVL is its decision to begin in Lucknow rather than an established volleyball centre in southern or western India.
Uttar Pradesh has a large sporting population, but professional opportunities for women volleyball players have remained limited. Many talented athletes have traditionally depended on university competitions, departmental teams and government employment opportunities to continue playing at a competitive level.
A professional franchise league in Lucknow changes that equation. It brings high-level competition closer to aspiring players in cities such as Kanpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur and smaller towns across the state.
The opening match provided an early indication of the interest the tournament could generate. Lucknow Shahi Warriors defeated Mumbai Dolphins in a closely contested encounter, giving the home franchise an encouraging start. Actor Arbaaz Khan, wrestler and league brand ambassador Sangram Singh, and state ministers were among those present at the opening event.
The atmosphere combined local enthusiasm with the presentation and production standards associated with modern franchise-based sporting competitions.
For Lucknow, the tournament also offers an opportunity to expand its identity as a sporting destination beyond cricket. Ekana’s indoor arena is now providing visibility to a sport that has a substantial grassroots following but has often lacked comparable professional exposure.
A professional career beyond school and college
The long-term value of the league will depend on what it offers players beyond match-day recognition.
For many Indian women volleyball players, the transition from school and university competitions to professional sport has been difficult. Opportunities to earn through the game, attract sponsors and gain regular media exposure have remained relatively limited.
The WPVL seeks to address this gap through franchise contracts, player auctions, performance-based recognition and television coverage.
Matches are being made available through platforms including JioHotstar and DD National, giving players access to a wider audience. Individual awards, including Player of the Match, Game Changer and Emerging Star, are also intended to recognise performances throughout the competition.
The Player of the Match award includes a HYPREV electric scooter, while the league has announced a total prize pool of Rs 1 crore. These incentives add a commercial dimension to the tournament and underline the organisers’ ambition to establish a marketable professional sporting property.
The involvement of Sangram Singh as the league’s public face and the introduction of its mascot, Veera, are further attempts to connect with younger audiences. The official black-and-magenta team kit and the emphasis on regional identities give the franchises a recognisable visual presence.
Founders Bukhrat Ahmed and Ritu Shahi have positioned the initiative around women’s empowerment, youth development and sustainable sporting careers. Their stated objective is to create an environment in which talented players can pursue volleyball with greater financial and professional security.
Why volleyball can connect with the Hindi heartland
Volleyball has several characteristics that make it suitable for both television audiences and live sporting events. Its fast rallies, powerful spikes, defensive blocks and diving saves create continuous action. The scoring system is relatively easy for new spectators to understand, while the short duration of individual matches makes the sport suitable for organised broadcasting.
The success of kabaddi’s franchise model and the growing audience for women’s cricket have demonstrated that professional women’s sport can find a wider market when supported by organised competitions, regional representation and accessible broadcasting.
Volleyball now has an opportunity to build on that interest.
The location of the inaugural league is particularly important. A professional women’s tournament in Lucknow can encourage schools, colleges, sports academies and state-level associations to invest more attention in the game. It can also give young girls an opportunity to watch professional athletes compete at close quarters rather than relying entirely on television or online videos.
The presence of overseas players could further improve the quality of competition and expose Indian athletes to different training methods and tactical approaches.
The real test begins after the inaugural season
Despite its promising beginning, the league faces several challenges. Maintaining franchise participation, attracting long-term commercial partners, building a consistent audience and ensuring regular media coverage will require sustained effort.
A professional league cannot depend entirely on the novelty of its first season. It needs a reliable calendar, transparent player contracts, competitive salaries and a strong pipeline of emerging talent.
Equally important will be the connection between the WPVL and grassroots volleyball. Schools, district associations and state-level competitions must become part of a larger development structure so that the league does not remain an isolated annual event.
The organisers will also need to ensure that players receive opportunities to progress into national and international competitions. A successful professional league should strengthen the national talent pool rather than operate separately from the country’s existing volleyball structure.
For Uttar Pradesh, the opportunity is significant. Young athletes from Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi and other towns can now see professional women’s volleyball being played in their own region. They can follow local franchises, identify with players and begin to imagine a sporting career beyond traditional routes.
As the competition continues until November 21, every spike, block and defensive save at Ekana carries a message about the possibilities of women’s sport in the region.
The Women’s Pro Volleyball League has begun with an ambitious proposition: that professional women’s sport can find a strong home in the Hindi heartland. Whether it becomes a lasting revolution will depend on what follows the final match. But by bringing six franchises, professional competition and national visibility to Lucknow, the inaugural season has already given women’s volleyball a new platform in Uttar Pradesh.
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