The Indian National Basketball League (INBL) is a basketball league in India, organized by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI).[1][2]
| Most recent season or competition: 2022–23 INBL season | |
 | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2021 |
| First season | 2022–23 |
| CEO | Parveen Batish Rupinder Brar |
| Motto | Done. Hiding. |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Country | India |
| Most recent champion(s) | Chennai Heat (1st title) (2022–23) |
| TV partner(s) | YouTube FanCode |
| Official website | https://inbl.basketball/ |
History
edit
The INBL was founded in 2021. The league was granted a five-year license by the BFI to run the competition and also help promote the 3x3 version of the game.[1] In its first season, the INBL allowed only Indian players to participate, with the aim being to provide players with additional competitive games to improve their standards towards the Elite Pro Basketball League and look to qualify for competitions such as the Olympics and World Cups.[1][3]
The inaugural season was held between October 2022 and January 2023 across three different cities, namely Kochi, Pune and Delhi. The Chennai Heat won the first-ever INBL championship after defeating the Bengaluru Kings in the finals, that were hosted in the Kanteerava Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru.
Following the 5x5 tournament, the INBL also hosted an inaugural 3x3 tournament.[4]
In May 2024, the league was relaunched as INBL Pro with an August start date and six city-based teams.[4] The competition ultimately did not go ahead due to contract and legal disputes.[5][6]
On 30 October 2024, the Indian Panthers, a team owned by the INBL Pro, entered the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL) for the 2025 season. The team will be based exclusively in South Auckland.[7][8]
Teams
edit| Team | Representing city/state |
|---|---|
| Bengaluru Kings | Bengaluru |
| Chennai Heat | Chennai |
| Chandigarh Warriors | Chandigarh |
| Delhi Dribblers | Delhi |
| Kochi Tigers | Kochi |
| Mumbai Titans | Mumbai |
Results
editList of finals
edit| Season | Champions | Score | Runner-up | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | Chennai Heat | 91–74 | Bengaluru Kings | [9] |
Awards
editMost valuable player
edit| Season | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | Arvindkumar Muthu Krishnan | Chennai Heat |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Indian National Basketball League from 4 January The Hindu, 18 November 2021. Accessed 23 February 2022.
- ^ "Indian National Basketball League announced in Bengaluru-League to get underway in January 2022". India Today. 20 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ "BFI launch INBL (Indian National Basketball League), aim to take sport to higher standards across all formats". NBA.com. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ a b "Basketball league, INBL Pro, to be played with six teams over August, September". indiatimes.com. 13 May 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ "Court Restrains Basketball Federation Of India Amid Contract Dispute". BW Businessworld. 31 May 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ Keerthivasan, K. (12 June 2024). "Slam dunk or fade away: a pro basketball league at last?". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 30 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ "Indian Panthers Join NBL & Tauihi – Kiwi Basketball Set To Soar In India". nznbl.basketball. 30 October 2024. Archived from the original on 30 October 2024.
- ^ "It's official – Indian Panthers confirmed to join New Zealand basketball leagues in 2025". Stuff.co.nz. 30 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ "Indian National Basketball League (2022-2023)". asia-basket.com. Retrieved 19 July 2024.