The Wrestling Revolution: How Dayaan Farooqui and Akhil Gupta Are Building India’s Next Big League After IPL

In the buzzing landscape of Indian sports, one league is gearing up to take center stage – The Pro Wrestling League (PWL). Once a promising property, PWL is now set for a grand revival under the dynamic leadership of Dayaan Farooqui (Chairman & Promoter) and Akhil Gupta (CEO & Promoter). Their mission is clear and compelling: to make wrestling – or kushti, as it’s known in India – the next big sports sensation after IPL.

Wrestling has always been India’s pride, producing Olympic heroes and national icons. Yet, it never received the commercial scale or glamour it deserved. That’s where Dayaan and Akhil stepped in. Through ONO Media’s acquisition of the Pro Wrestling League rights from the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), the duo has taken on the challenge of transforming India’s most traditional sport into a modern-day league that celebrates strength, culture, and entertainment.

“Kushti has always been India’s sport,” says Dayaan Farooqui, a man known for blending vision with execution. “It’s time we give it the structure and global stage it truly deserves.”

Dayaan Farooqui, as Chairman, is the dreamer – someone who sees beyond the sport to the movement it represents. He envisions a future where wrestling stands shoulder-to-shoulder with cricket, where every Indian child knows a wrestler’s name the way they know a cricketer’s. Akhil Gupta, as CEO, is the architect. A strategist with a deep understanding of sports business, Gupta is building an ecosystem that supports wrestlers, brands, and fans alike.

“Our athletes are warriors,” Gupta says. “They train relentlessly for the country, yet often lack the recognition they deserve. Through PWL, we’re changing that – we’re building careers, fame, and pride.”

The Pro Wrestling League is not a reboot – it’s a reinvention. With franchise-based teams, international participation, high-end production, and global-level marketing, the league is being shaped as India’s second-largest sporting spectacle after the IPL. Backed by ONO Media’s world-class production and storytelling, the league will bring the intensity of wrestling to living rooms nationwide – through thrilling visuals, gripping rivalries, and inspiring athlete stories.

For Dayaan Farooqui and Akhil Gupta, this is more than a business – it’s a cultural revival. A celebration of Indian identity, strength, and perseverance. “Wrestling is our legacy,” says Dayaan. “Now it’s our future too.” And with that vision, India’s kushti is entering a new era – not just as a sport, but as a phenomenon.