Ali Samadi

Ali Samadi is an Iranian raider who made his Pro Kabaddi League debut with the Jaipur Pink Panthers in Season 12 (2025). Fans know him for his contribution to the Pink Panthers attack, and also for a quiet gesture of respect that drew praise from Amitabh Bachchan.

Season 12

Samadi played 19 matches for Jaipur in Season 12 and finished with 126 points, 121 of them from raids and 5 from tackles. He registered 5 Super 10s and no High 5s. Official PKL data puts his raid strike rate for the season at 57% and his tackle strike rate at 38%.

It was a mixed campaign for the side in pink and blue. At times Jaipur played brilliantly, while on other occasions the team struggled to find its rhythm. According to The Free Press Journal, Jaipur had won 8 of its 18 matches and sat 8th on the points table when it qualified for the Play-Ins, where it was set to face Haryana Steelers on October 25.

A tribute to Vedant Devadiga

The most talked about moment of Samadi’s season came away from the scoresheet. Jaipur’s assistant manager, Vedant Devadiga, passed away suddenly, and the franchise gave its players the option of not playing their match against U Mumba on October 21. The team chose to play in his honour, and Samadi inscribed Devadiga’s name on his headband for the game.

Jaipur lost that match by a single point, but the gesture did not go unnoticed. Amitabh Bachchan gave a shoutout to the Jaipur players, and especially to Samadi’s gesture, in a post on X. He wrote that the team “Played in honour .. wearing his head band name in remembrance”, adding, “humans pass away .. not sportsmanship”.

The franchise also paid tribute on social media, describing Devadiga as “a beloved member of our family” whose passion and dedication would be greatly missed.

Statistics and team history: Pro Kabaddi League.