The jersey reveal was attended by NBA legends DeMarcus Cousins and Isiah Thomas. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Six cities will compete in India’s first professional basketball league — Indian Basketball League (IBL), operator ACG Sports announced on Saturday alongside NBA legends DeMarcus Cousins, Isiah Thomas, and Vlade Divac present in Delhi.

The IBL will have eight foundational cities with six competing in the inaugural season tipping off in early 2027.

“The eight cities — Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, and Pune — were selected for their strong ties to basketball culture through participation, fandom and well-established basketball communities,” the release stated.

“Six will compete in the inaugural season; two will join in subsequent seasons as the league expands.”  

Also read | Baranica Elangovan’s slow and steady rise to becoming India’s premier women’s pole vaulter

Fans will have the opportunity to play an active role in shaping the league from the outset, initially by influencing the decision as to which six of the eight foundation cities will compete in the IBL’s inaugural season in 2027.

“The success of any professional sporting league is dependent on its fans, which is why we want the voices of India’s basketball fans to be heard right from the outset.  They will be our barometer for all decision making, and so we intend to engage with them every step of the way,” Jeremy Loeliger, Commissioner, IBL, said.  

“The India Basketball League will be the next step of what has already been a decade-long commitment by ACG to the sport of basketball in India,” Karan Singh, Managing Director of ACG, said.

“Within five months of the announcement of the IBL, we opened our High-Performance Centre in Bengaluru, which is now home to the best basketball coaching framework, and the best talent pipeline, anywhere in the country.

“And the players who are training there are going to form the foundation of the talent that you are all going to see on court when we tip-off in 2027,” he added.

Published on May 09, 2026