Full list of India's major sports leagues

It is time for sports leagues to take off in India. Another major league will kick off next week with Indian Super League (ISL) football.

After the roaring success of Indian Premier League Twenty20 (IPL) cricket, film stars and business houses have lined up to invest in new set of sports leagues in the country. However, there are no takers for exclusive women sports leagues. All major leagues are for men (exception - badminton and tennis where both play).

On October 12, ISL, with the presence of foreign players and coaches, will take flight. Just like any other league, it will also hope to become a major hit with the spectators.

While it is no guarantee that a birth of a new sports league results in success, people are ready to experiment with new versions.

All the non-cricket leagues are banking on cutting into India's number one sport's revenue. Cricket is the most popular sport in the country and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the governing body is making millions of rupees. And the players are hugely paid by the BCCI.

Though regular domestic tournaments are conducted by each sports federations in India, the recent trend has seen city-based franchises in leagues.

One of the earlier experiments in India with the league was Premier Hockey League (PHL). It started in 2005 but was defunct by 2008 after just 4 editions.

PHL created a lot of buzz among players and fans. There were 5 city teams at the start, but all the initial excitement died down in few years.

Then, there was Zee Group's Indian Cricket League (ICL) which was launched in 2007 and folded in 2009 with BCCI not backing it.

So far, with many leagues operating, the biggest gainer apart from IPL is this year's Pro Kabaddi League (PKL).

PKL, in its inaugural edition in 2014, was a big hit. The organisers will be expecting to reap in more rewards in 2015 and further.

The Indian Badminton League (IBL) was launched last year but there was no play this year, and there is no clarity about next year. IBL organisers incurred losses in 2013 and might not return in 2015.

So far, leagues in India have received mixed response from the fans. While IPL continues to rule, it remains to be seen how other leagues manage to hold on to their fan base.

Here is the list of major sports leagues in India

Athletics