The 2022 season of Ultimate Kho Kho was the inaugural season hosted from 14 August to 4 September 2022. Six teams played a total of 34 matches. Odisha Juggernauts beat Telugu Yoddhas 46-45 in the final. The season had a viewership of 64 million, 41 million of which came from India. This made the league the third-most viewed non-cricket competition in India after the Pro Kabaddi and Indian Super League.
An exhibition match was played on July 14, 2022. The player draft for the league was completed later that day, with 143 players chosen. Special effort had to be made to find a suitable indoor arena for the first season of Ultimate Kho Kho, given the requirement to have firmly fastened poles as part of the playing area.
In this season, the rules around scoring worked like this: 2 points are scored for a regular tag (known as a "Running Touch"), and 3 points are scored if a tag is made while an attacker is either fully outstretched and diving ("Sky Dive") or touching a pole ("Pole Dive"), or if a defender got themselves out by stepping out of the field ("Boundary Out") or intentionally allowing themselves to be tagged ("Self-Out"). These rules were changed in the next season so that each tagged defender is always worth 2 points to the attacking team. The rule around Dream Runs was also different in this season: if any batch of defenders could avoid being all dismissed for at least 2 and a half minutes, they would earn 2 points, with an additional 2 points earned for every 30 seconds survived afterwards. In addition, there was a rule that if the attacking team dismissed 4 batches of defenders in a single turn (known as an "all out", since all 12 defenders on the opposing team will have been dismissed), 3 bonus points are scored.
The winning team received , while the runner-ups received and the third-placed team received .
The six teams were, Chennai Quick Guns, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Khiladis, Odisha Juggernauts, Rajasthan Warriors, and Telugu Yoddhas.
Attackers: Balvir Singh, Jaswant Singh, Manoj Patil, P Narasayya, Sachin Gaur, V Kabilan, and Venu Gopal S.
Defenders: Buchannagari Raju, Daasari Jeevith Rao, Vignesh M, Mahesh Madhukar Shinde(VC), N Suresh, P Anand Kumar, Prasad Vijay Patil, Pritam Ankush Chougule, S. Santhru, Sibin. M, and Vijay Vegad Jagdishbhai.
All-rounders: M Vignesh, Amit Vasant Patil(C), Madan, P Jai Prasath, Rajvardhan Shankar Patil, K Ram, Ramji Kashyap.
Attackers: Abhinandan Mahadev Patil, Ranjan Sridhar Shetty(C), Chinmoy Nandi, Nilesh Sarjerao Patil, Praful Raju Bhange, S Kavin Raj, Sagar Subhash Lengare, S Sarathkumar, and Shubham Motiramji Jambhale.
Defenders: Mareppa, Ajay Kumar Mandra, Akshay Sandeep Bhangare, Aniket Bhagawan Pote, Dhiraj Vinod Bhave, Manoj Sarkar, Sagar Deepakraj, Saleem Khan, and Vinayak Sadashiv Pokarde.
All-rounders: Pothireddy Sivareddy(VC), Debendra Nath, Suyash Vishwas, T Jagannath, Rutishbhai Jayantibhai.
Attackers: Kurpe Milind Rajendra, Shreejesh S, Abhishek Pathrode, Durvesh Vikas Salunke, Rajesh Kumar, Avik Singha, Bichu S S, Rahul Bharat Sawant, Devendra Dagur, and Ummer Ahmad Rathar.
Defenders: Rohan Bapuso Kore, Vijay Gajanan Hajare(C), Faizankha Sherkha Pathan, Gajanan Maruti Shengal, Rohit Verma, Sourabh Nathaji Ahir, Sribin Kp, Gaurav Kandpal, Abishek M S, Rajat Malik, Harish Mohmmad, Gaurav, and Srijin J.
All-rounders: Visag S
Attackers: Suraj Shital Lande, Mahesha P, Avinash Shivaji Desai, Lipun Mukhi, Dinesh Naik S, Shiv Kumar Sen, Manoj Narayan Ghotekar, Darshanapu Sathish, Mukesh Prajapat
Defenders: Gowtham MK, Vishal, Suresh Kumar, Thugana Vinod Kumar, Gurjinder Singh, and Swayam Satyaprakash Parija.
All-rounders: Dilip Khandavi, Jagannatha Murmu, Aditya Sunil Kudale, Nilesh Ananda Jadhav, Dipesh Vijay More(Co-Captain), Subhasis Santra, Arjun Singh, and Milind Dilip Chavarekar(Co-captain)
Attackers: Sourabh Shivaji Adavkar, Suresh Shamrao Sawant, Majahar Kalandar Jamadar(Co-Captain), Mohammed Taseen, Konjengbam Dhananjoy Singh, Sushant Sanjay Kaldhone, Atla Siva Nagi Reddy, Biswajit Das, Ashwani Ranjan, and Mukesh Maurya.
Defenders: Dilrajsing Rekha Sengar, Akshay Prashant Ganpule(Co-Captain), SK. Murtaja Ali, Jithin B, Tapan Pal, Mahesh M, and Bhuneshwar Sahu.
All-rounders: Abhijit Patil, Sushant Dattatray, Hrushikesh Vijay Murchavade, Shailesh Mahadev Sankapal, Govind Yadav, Bharat Kumar Pradhan, Nikhil B, Yalla Satish.
Attackers: Prajwal KH(C), Adarsh Dattatray Mohite, Subramani V, Gavara Venkatesh, Thokchom Sadananda Meitei, P Hemachandran, Sachin Bhargo, Dhanush K C, Aditya Das, and Sinam Rokeson Singh.
Defenders: Sudershan, Deepak Vitthal Madhav, Avdhut Bharat Patil, Prasad Vaibhav Radye, Dhruv, and Bojjam Ranjith.
All-rounders: Pratik Waikar(VC), Rohan Shingade, Arun SA, Arun Ashok Gunki, Anukul Sarkar, and Pittu Bala Sambi Reddy
Top 4 teams qualify for playoffs
All Matches were played at Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex<BR>14 August 2022<BR>Match 1:
20:00 (IST)
Mumbai Khiladis 44 vs 69 Gujarat Giants
Gujarat Giants beat Mumbai Khiladis by 25 points Report
Match 2:
21:15 (IST)
Chennai Quick Guns 40 vs 48 Telugu Yoddhas
Telugu Yoddhas beat Chennai Quick Guns by 10 points Report
15 August 2022
Match 3:
19:30 (IST)
Rajasthan Warriors 43 vs 51 Mumbai Khiladis
Mumbai Khiladis beat Rajasthan Warriors by 8 points Report
Match 4:
20:45(IST)
Odisha Juggernauts 51 vs 43 Chennai Quick Guns
Odisha Juggernauts beat Chennai Quick Guns by 8 points Report
16 August 2022
Match 5:
19:30 (IST)
Telugu Yoddhas 68 vs 47 Rajasthan Warriors
Telugu Yoddhas beat Rajasthan Warriors by 21 points Report
Match 6:
20:45(IST)
Gujarat Giants 54 vs 49 Odisha Juggernauts
Gujarat Giants beat Odisha Juggernauts by 5 points Report
17 August 2022
Match 7:
19:30 (IST)
Gujarat Giants 66 vs 48 Mumbai Khiladis
Gujarat Giants beat Mumbai Khiladis by 22 points Report
Match 8:
20:45(IST)
Telugu Yoddhas 25 vs 49 Chennai Quick Guns
Chennai Quick Guns beat Telugu Yoddhas by 25 points Report
19 August 2022
Match 9:
19:30 (IST)
Rajasthan Warriors 46 vs 65 Odisha Juggernauts
Odisha Juggernauts beat Rajasthan Warriors by 19 points Report
Match 10:
20:45(IST)
Mumbai Khiladis 45 vs 65 Chennai Quick Guns
Chennai Quick Guns beat Mumbai Khiladis by 20 points Report
21 August 2022
Match 11:
19:30 (IST)
Odisha Juggernauts 50 vs 47 Gujarat Giants
Odisha Juggernauts beat Gujarat Giants by 3 points Report
Match 12:
20:45(IST)
Rajasthan Warriors 45 vs 83 Telugu Yoddhas
Telugu Yoddhas beat Rajasthan Warriors by 38 points Report
23 August 2022
Match 13:
19:30 (IST)
Telugu Yoddhas 55 vs 43 Mumbai Khiladis
Telugu Yoddhas beat Mumbai Khiladis by 12 points Report
Match 14:
20:45(IST)
Gujarat Giants 51 vs 53 Chennai Quick Guns
Chennai Quick Guns beat Gujarat Giants by 2 points Report
24 August 2022
Match 15:
19:30 (IST)
Odisha Juggernauts 51 vs 41 Chennai Quick Guns
Odisha Juggernauts beat Chennai Quick Guns by 10 points Report
Match 16:
20:45(IST)
Mumbai Khiladis 56 vs 42 Rajasthan Warriors
Mumbai Khiladis beat Rajasthan Warriors by 14 points Report
25 August 2022
Match 17:
19:30 (IST)
Odisha Juggernauts 51 vs 45 Rajasthan Warriors
Odisha Juggernauts beat Rajasthan Warriors by 6 points Report
Match 18:
20:45(IST)
Gujarat Giants 51 vs 48 Telugu Yoddhas
Gujarat Giants beat Telugu Yoddhas by 3 points Report
26 August 2022
Match 19:
19:30 (IST)
Chennai Quick Guns 44 vs 50 Gujarat Giants
Gujarat Giants beat Chennai Quick Guns by 6 points Report
Match 20:
20:45(IST)
Mumbai Khiladis 54 vs 46 Telugu Yoddhas
Mumbai Khiladis beat Telugu Yoddhas by 8 points Report
27 August 2022
Match 21:
19:30 (IST)
Rajasthan Warriors 36 vs 57 Chennai Quick Guns
Chennai Quick Guns beat Rajasthan Warriors by 21 points Report
Match 22:
20:45(IST)
Odisha Juggernauts 60 vs 37 Mumbai Khiladis
Odisha Juggernauts beat Mumbai Khiladis by 23 points Report
28 August 2022
Match 23:
19:30 (IST)
Odisha Juggernauts 48 vs 39 Telugu Yoddhas
Odisha Juggernauts beat Telugu Yoddhas by 9 points Report
Match 24:
20:45(IST)
Rajasthan Warriors 40 vs 42 Gujarat Giants
Gujarat Giants beat Rajasthan Warriors by 2 points Report
29 August 2022
Match 25:
19:30 (IST)
Chennai Quick Guns 58 vs 42 Mumbai Khiladis
Chennai Quick Guns beat Mumbai Khiladis by 16 points Report
Match 26:
20:45(IST)
Telugu Yoddhas 88 vs 21 Gujarat Giants
Telugu Yoddhas beat Gujarat Giants by 67 points Report
30 August 2022
Match 27:
19:30 (IST)
Mumbai Khiladis 79 vs 31 Odisha Juggernauts
Mumbai Khiladis beat Odisha Juggernauts by 48 points Report
Match 28:
20:45(IST)
Chennai Quick Guns 31 vs 66 Rajasthan Warriors
Rajasthan Warriors beat Chennai Quick Guns by 35 points Report
31 August 2022
Match 29:
19:30 (IST)
Gujarat Giants 47 vs 42 Rajasthan Warriors
Gujarat Giants beat Rajasthan Warriors by 5 points Report
Match 30:
20:45(IST)
Telugu Yoddhas 65 vs 36 Odisha Juggernauts
Telugu Yoddhas beat Odisha Juggernauts by 29 points Report
2 September 2022
Eliminator:
19:30 (IST)
Telugu Yoddhas 61 vs 43 Chennai Quick Guns
Telugu Yoddhas beat Chennai Quick Guns by 18 points Report
Qualifier 1:
20:45(IST)
Gujarat Giants 43 vs 57 Odisha Juggernauts
Odisha Juggernauts beat Gujarat Giants by 14 points Report
3 September 2022
Qualifier 2:
19:45(IST)
Gujarat Giants 44 vs 67 Telugu Yoddhas
Telugu Yoddhas beat Gujarat Giants by 23 points Report
4 September 2022
Final:
20:00(IST)
Odisha Juggernauts 46 vs 45 Telugu Yoddhas
Odisha Juggernauts beat Telugu Yoddhas by 1 point Report
Source:
Total High 5s