Kho-Kho is a fast-paced tag sport which is quite famous in the Indian subcontinent. This game is usually played between 2 teams or 2 groups. It is a game of an entertaining that promotes physical fitness, speed, and strategic thinking. Earlier it was popular in Asian countries, but now it is played worldwide.
Though the game of Kho Kho is getting popular in other countries, people want to know more and they often ask on the social media platforms, how many teams participate in a Kho-Kho match? Well, you are at right place and with Kho-Kho match videos and pictures, I will let you know the number of teams in a match!
A game of Kho-Kho is played between 2 groups – Group 1 and Group 2, this means the game is played between 2 teams like Team-A and Team-B. At International or National level, or even if we count the State or District level, only 2 teams participate in a Kho-Kho match. Each team has 12 players, but only 9 players play on the field at a time. The remaining 3 players of each team are in the form of extras (or you can say the substitutes) who can be replaced if needed. In this way, a total of 18 players (9-9 from each team) are present on the field during the Kho-Kho match.
In a Kho-Kho league, a number of teams can participate – it can be 6 teams or 10 teams, but when a Kho-Kho match is played only 2 teams are played just like Cricket, Football. Example: Match 1: Ind vs Pak, Match 2: Nepal vs India, Match 3: India vs Bhutan or Match 4: Gujarat Lions vs Bengal Tigers and so on!
Kho-Kho match begins with a toss, and on the basis of that one team becomes the ‘chaser’ and the other team becomes the ‘defender’. The target of the chaser team is to get the defender team players out by tagging them, while the defender team players try to defend themselves with their stamina and agility. The match is played in multiple innings and the teams change their roles in each innings. That is, the team which is the chaser in the first innings becomes the defender in the next innings.
According to the rules of Kho-kho, the duration of the match usually depends on the level of the tournament. Under 14 Kho-Kho (Sub-Junior or Juinor) matches are often played in two innings of 7 minutes each, while at the National and International level (Senior Kho Kho) this time can increase to 9-9 minutes per innings. However, the number of players always remains the same in two teams, each with 9 players on the field and 3 extras on the bench as substitutes.
Note: Each inning has 2 turns – 1 turn of 7 minutes or 9 minutes, 2nd turn of 7 minutes or 9 minutes. In short, full match time with intervals for Sub Junior Kho Kho would be 34-36 minutes. While 1 match of Senior Kho Kho finishes in around 44-50 minutes.
This game of Khp-Kho is not only physically challenging but also mentally. The chaser team has to make its strategy as to in which order the players will run and how to get the members of the opposing team out. On the other hand, the defender team has to save as much time as possible by demonstrating its stamina and agility. That is why Kho-Kho is considered a unique blend of ‘teamwork’ and ‘individual brilliance’.
It is believed that the game of Kho-Kho belongs to Mahabharata period (5000 years old) . In modern times, its rules were codified in 1914 by the Deccan Gymkhana Club of Pune. Earlier it was popular in India or neighbour countries like Nepal, Bhutan, SriLanka, Bangladesh and Pakistna, but later it became popular in Asian countries like China, Malaysia, Thailand, Iran, Indonesia, South Korea. And now at the present time, it is popular worldwide in countries like England, South Africa, Canada, Kenya, Brazil, Peru, Uganda, and USA. To increase its popularity at the international level, the ‘Asian Kho-Kho Championship’ was started in 1982, and recently Kho Kho world cup 2025 organized which won by the Team India in Men’s and Women’s category.
So the next time you watch a Kho-Kho match, notice that there are only two teams on the field, but their strategy and enthusiasm make the match exciting. This game is equally entertaining not only for the players but also for the spectators. If you liked out content, keep visiting https://greengroundsports.com and don’t forget to share it with other sports lovers and contribute to promoting traditional sports like Kho-Kho.
