Ketan Kushwaha, a 14-year-old hockey player, is the youngest professional Indian athlete.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Only 16% of India’s top athletes across six franchise-based leagues in five disciplines hail from the seven metro cities, indicating a shift in the perception of sport as a viable career option in aspirational India, says a report.
The report titled India’s Most Valuable Sports Teams 2026 — prepared by Hurun India and Fanatic Sports — was released here on Tuesday. It is based on 1,323 athletes participating in the Indian Premier League, Women’s Premier League, Indian Super League, Pro Kabaddi League, Hockey India League and Prime Volleyball League.
According to the study, of the 732 athletes classified as hailing from cities, 617 come from Tier I, Tier II or Tier III cities, while the seven metros combined have produced only 115 athletes. Collectively, these cities account for nearly three-fourths of the 1,018 Indian athletes studied for the report.
The study has not included several other franchise-based leagues that have sustained over the years. Anas Rahman Junaid, founder and chief researcher, Harun India, stated that the six properties were only a starting point for the research. “Since this is our maiden foray into the sports sector, it’s a start. We hope to keep on including other leagues with every passing year from now on,” said Anas.
“The primary objective of the report is to let businesses and companies know that sport is now a viable asset class in India. More importantly, the report is an eye-opener for the younger generation, encouraging them to take sport seriously and invest in it as a career option. It helps us understand that there is a pretty big talent pool in our country. And it’s not just in the metros or certain States, it’s spread across the country,” said Raghav Gupta, Fanatic Sports CEO.
Haryana tops the list of elite athlete-producing States with 129 sportspersons across these six leagues, followed by Maharashtra (95) and Punjab (81). Manipur (67) and Mizoram (42) — aided by their strong representation in the ISL — are the two north-eastern States featuring in the top 10.
The research also highlights that Ketan Kushwaha, a 14-year-old hockey player, is the youngest professional Indian athlete, even younger than cricket prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
While the report has refrained from projecting commercial values for any league apart from the IPL, it estimates the T20 league to become a $15 billion property by 2032. It also lists Kolkata Knight Riders as the most valued IPL franchise, with a valuation between ₹19,200 crore and ₹22,500 crore, followed by Mumbai Indians (₹18,400 cr. to ₹21,700 cr.) and Chennai Super Kings (₹18,400 cr. to ₹20,700 cr.).
Published – May 19, 2026 07:08 pm IST
