Two teams with contrasting seasons collide in Match 106 of PKL 12 as third-placed Bengaluru Bulls host bottom-placed Gujarat Giants. The Bulls' formidable defensive unit, anchored by Deepak Sankar's exceptional form, faces Gujarat Giants' experienced campaigner Mohammadreza Shadloui, whilst Alireza Mirzaian's raiding brilliance encounters a Giants' outfit desperately fighting for playoff survival.

Probable Starting 7

Bengaluru Bulls

  • Right Corner – Yogesh (C)
  • Right In – Aashish Malik
  • Right Cover – Sanjay
  • Centre – Akash Shinde
  • Left Cover – Satyappa Matti
  • Left In – Alireza Mirzaian
  • Left Corner – Deepak Sankar

Gujarat Giants

  • Right Corner – Lucky Sharma
  • Right In – Himanshu Singh
  • Right Cover – Nitin Panwar
  • Centre – Rakesh (C)
  • Left Cover – Rohit Nandal
  • Left In – Ankit Dahiya
  • Left Corner – Mohammadreza Shadloui

Headlines

➢ Bulls with a strong defensive unit facing showstopper Shadloui

➢ Deepak Sankar and Yogesh leading the Bulls' defensive revival

➢ Alireza Mirzaian – Raider Supreme for the Bulls in PKL 12

➢ Himanshu Singh is fighting a lone battle

➢ Gujarat Giants are not doing enough in raiding

Top Stories of the Match

Bulls with a Strong Defensive Unit Facing Showstopper Shadloui

Bengaluru Bulls have secured their playoff qualification with an impressive turnaround, particularly through their defensive excellence. The defensive unit has recovered brilliantly after faltering against Patna Pirates, averaging more than 11.4 tackle points per match in PKL 12.

Bengaluru Bulls Defence Unit in PKL 12

Matches

Tackle Points

Avg Tackle Points

Tackle Success Rate

17

194

11.4

46%

Deepak Sankar and Yogesh have been extraordinary this season, carrying the defensive unit with remarkable consistency.

  • Deepak Sankar ranks as the leading tackle point scorer for the Bulls this campaign, and Yogesh sits just two points away from reaching 50 tackle points in PKL 12.
  • Both corners boast a tackle success rate exceeding 50% this year.

Bengaluru Bulls Corners in PKL 12

Player

Matches

Tackle Points

Avg Tackle Points

Tackle SR %

High 5s

Deepak Sankar

16

55

3.4

60%

5

Yogesh

17

48

2.8

51%

3

Deepak Sankar's recent performance against Bengal Warriorz exemplified his resurgent form. He delivered a magnificent High 5, recording eight tackles with six tackle points at a 75% success rate.

  • Sankar has been instrumental in the Bulls' transformation since replacing Ankush, contributing significantly to their ascent from four consecutive defeats at the tournament's outset.
  • He now boasts the third-best average tackle points across the entire league.

Best Average Tackle Points in PKL 12

Player

Matches

Tackle Points

Avg Tackle Points

Tackle SR %

Jaideep

18

67

3.7

67%

Nitesh Kumar

18

65

3.6

53%

Deepak Sankar

16

55

3.4

60%

However, Sankar's interval-based performance reveals a significant pattern – he operates cautiously in the opening 10 minutes (37% success rate) but accelerates impressively thereafter, maintaining a 70% success rate across the subsequent three intervals.

Deepak Sankar Defence by Intervals in PKL 12

Intervals (mins)

Tackle Points

Tackle SR %

1–10

10

37%

11–20

16

70%

21–30

15

68%

31–40

14

70%

In the covers, Satyappa Matti leads PKL 12 in assists with 75, remarkably achieved in fewer matches than competitors below him on the leaderboard.

The Bulls' defensive cohesion is undeniable – when the defence functions optimally, their victory rate becomes formidable. In 10 matches where they've accumulated substantial defensive points, they've won seven.

The Bulls will encounter Shadloui, whose season has proved considerably disappointing relative to his historical standards.

Shadloui: Comparative Performance Across Series

Series

Tackle Points

Avg Tackle Points

Tackle SR %

PKL 12

37

2.2

45%

PKL 11

82

3.4

54%

PKL 10

99

4.1

60%

Despite scoring merely two tackle points in his most recent encounter, Shadloui narrowly escaped High 5s in matches against Patna Pirates and Tamil Thalaivas. Historically, he has performed admirably against Bengaluru Bulls, securing two High 5s across nine previous meetings, averaging more than three tackle points per match.

Intriguingly, Shadloui has demonstrated superior performance in the second half compared to the first half this season – achieving 21 tackle points at 48% success rate post-interval, compared to 16 points at 42% pre-interval.

Alireza Mirzaian – Raider Supreme for the Bulls

Alireza Mirzaian continues his exceptional campaign for Bengaluru Bulls, consistently absorbing raiding pressure and delivering at the highest level. Against Bengal Warriorz in Match 104, he produced yet another Super 10, orchestrating the Bulls' emphatic 30-point victory.

Alireza vs Bengal Warriorz – M#104

Raids

Raid Points

Raid SR %

17

14

82%

Mirzaian now averages 10 points per match this season at a 57% success rate, single-handedly anchoring the Bulls' raiding operation. He has recorded an extraordinary 11 Super 10s – joint-second most in the league behind Devank's perfect record.

Alireza Mirzaian in PKL 12

Matches

Raid Points

Avg Raid Points

Raid SR %

Super 10s

17

170

10

57%

11

His dominance in Do-or-Die situations remains league-leading – Mirzaian has accumulated 33 Do-or-Die raid points at an exceptional 70% success rate, significantly ahead of nearest challengers.

Most Raid Points in DoD Situations – PKL 12

Player

DoD Raid Points

Raid SR %

Alireza Mirzaian

33

70%

Ayan

28

100%

Arjun Deshwal

23

77%

Mirzaian's situational versatility is striking – he excels when the bonus line remains active (100 raid points at 71% success rate) and in super tackle situations, yet struggles marginally when confronted by four to five defenders (32 points at 32% success rate).

His interval-based performance demonstrates consistency throughout matches, with exceptional performances in the opening and final 10 minutes. He performs marginally better in the second half, accumulating 95 raid points at 56% success rate compared to 75 points at 58% pre-interval.

Team Stories

Bengaluru Bulls – PKL 12 So Far

Recent Results

  • M#104 vs Bengal Warriorz – Won 54–24 (30-point victory)
  • M#94 vs Dabang Delhi – Won 33–23 (10-point victory)
  • M#88 vs Patna Pirates – Lost 32(5)–32(6) (tiebreaker defeat)
  • M#80 vs Bengal Warriorz – Won 43–32 (11-point victory)
  • M#77 vs Jaipur Pink Panthers – Won 47–26 (21-point victory)

Bengaluru Bulls have engineered a remarkable turnaround, qualifying for the playoffs after an initially disastrous campaign. They have won four of their last five matches, propelling them to third position in the standings. Continuing their winning momentum against Gujarat Giants would cement their playoff position.

The Bulls' resurgence hinges upon Alireza Mirzaian's raiding consistency and the defensive solidity provided by Deepak Sankar and Yogesh, creating a balanced team capable of competing against league-leading outfits.

Gujarat Giants – PKL 12 So Far

Recent Results

  • M#102 vs Haryana Steelers – Lost 32–50 (18-point defeat)
  • M#97 vs Telugu Titans – Lost 25–30 (5-point defeat)
  • M#87 vs Tamil Thalaivas – Won 42–35 (7-point victory)
  • M#83 vs Patna Pirates – Won 40–32 (8-point victory)
  • M#75 vs Dabang Delhi – Lost 33–39 (6-point defeat)

Gujarat Giants' season represents frustrating inconsistency. Having lost three of their last five matches, they face near-elimination from playoff contention. They are almost entirely dependent upon victory against Bengaluru Bulls and favourable results elsewhere to secure qualification.

The Giants remain virtually shut out from playoff mathematics unless they achieve victory in this crucial encounter. Their weak link continues to be the raiding unit – they possess both the lowest average raid points (18.2 per match) and the lowest raid success rate (43%) across PKL 12.

Lowest Average Raid Points in PKL 12

Team

Matches

Avg Raid Points

Raid SR %

Gujarat Giants

17

18.2

43%

U Mumba

17

19.6

45%

Tamil Thalaivas

18

19.7

48%

Himanshu Singh has emerged as the Giants' primary bright spot, demonstrating exceptional form recently with four Super 10s in the last five matches. Nevertheless, his performances represent a solo effort, with inadequate support from captain Rakesh or fellow raiders.

Head-to-Head in PKL

Overall Record: Matches – 16 | Bengaluru Bulls – 6 | Gujarat Giants – 8 | Tied – 2

Bengaluru Bulls secured victory in their previous meeting during Match 45 of PKL 12, triumphing 28–24, and will seek a double over their opponents.

Last 5 Match Results

Match

Season

Bengaluru Bulls

Gujarat Giants

Result

M#45

PKL 12

28

24

Bulls won by 4 points

M#89

PKL 11

34

34

Match tied

M#6

PKL 11

32

36

Giants won by 4 points

M#116

PKL 10

28

50

Giants won by 22 points

M#4

PKL 10

31

34

Giants won by 3 points

Key Player Battles

Bengaluru Bulls' Raiders vs Gujarat Giants' Defenders

  • Akash Shinde 6–5 Shadloui (closely matched)
  • Alireza Mirzaian 2–0 Shadloui

Gujarat Giants' Raiders vs Bengaluru Bulls' Defenders

  • Rakesh 0–2 Yogesh
  • Parteek Dahiya 6–6 Yogesh (evenly poised)
  • Rakesh 1–1 Deepak Sankar

What to Expect

This encounter promises a fascinating tactical contest between the Bulls' established defensive foundation and the Giants' raiding aspirations. Deepak Sankar's exceptional form will prove crucial in containing Rakesh and Himanshu Singh, whilst Alireza Mirzaian's raiding excellence should overcome Gujarat Giants' fragile defensive structure.

The key battles – Sankar's consistency against the Giants' raiders and Mirzaian's raiding prowess against Shadloui's defensive intensity – will likely determine proceedings. Expect a dominant Bengaluru Bulls victory, with the defensive excellence of Sankar and Yogesh proving decisive in securing both teams' contrasting playoff destinies.

Match Details

  • Match: Bengaluru Bulls vs Gujarat Giants – Match 106, PKL Season 12
  • Date: Thursday, 23rd October 2025
  • Time: 7:30 PM IST
  • Venue: Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium, Delhi
  • LIVE Streaming: Watch LIVE on Star Sports Network and JioHotstar. For LIVE scores and updates, visit prokabaddi.com or download the Pro Kabaddi Official App.

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