The Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 rolls on as Tamil Thalaivas lock horns with Bengal Warriorz in Match 30 at the SMS Indoor Stadium, Jaipur. The spotlight will firmly be on the two raiding machines — Arjun Deshwal for the Thalaivas and Dhaakad Devank for the Warriorz — both of whom are among the most prolific raiders in the league. While Tamil will look to bounce back after back-to-back losses, Bengal are desperate to halt their three-match losing streak.

Probable Starting 7

Tamil Thalaivas
 Right Corner – Aashish
 Right In – Narender Kandola
 Right Cover – Ronak
 Centre – Suresh Jadhav
 Left Cover – Himanshu
 Left In – Arjun Deshwal (C)
 Left Corner – Nitesh Kumar

Bengal Warriorz
 Right Corner – Nitesh Kumar
 Right In – Devank (C)
 Right Cover – Mayur Kadam
 Centre – Vishwas S
 Left Cover – Parteek
 Left In – Manprit
 Left Corner – Ashish

Headlines

➢ Raid Machine Arjun Deshwal vs Dhaakad Devank
➢ Tamil Thalaivas' defence led by Nitesh Kumar
➢ Bengal Warriorz need support for Devank
➢ Warriorz defence must regroup after dip in form
➢ Nitesh & Ashish vs Nitesh & Aashish – battle of the corners

Top Stories of the Match

Raid Machine Arjun Deshwal vs Dhaakad Devank

  • Arjun Deshwal and Dhaakad Devank — once teammates at Jaipur Pink Panthers in PKL 9 — now face off as rival captains and the leading raiders for their sides.
  • Arjun has been PKL’s most consistent raider since Season 8, scoring the most raid points in that period and also ranking 2nd in overall bonus points.
  • He started PKL 12 strongly with Super 10s in the first two matches, though his form dipped slightly against Gujarat Giants.
  • Arjun has dominated Bengal Warriorz in recent seasons, averaging 12.8 points per match against them since PKL 7, with 77 raid points and 4 Super 10s.
  • He is especially strong in first halves and thrives on picking early bonus points to build momentum.
  • Devank, meanwhile, has been in unstoppable form, leading Bengal Warriorz’ raiding unit almost single-handedly.
  • He has scored 63 raid points in 4 matches — 59% of his team’s total raid points — and has 4 consecutive Super 10s already this season (21 vs Haryana, 17 vs Pune, 13 vs Titans, 12 vs Delhi).
  • Devank was the top raider of PKL 11 and one of only four players ever to score 300+ raid points in a single season.
  • He also holds the record for the most raid points in a match vs Tamil Thalaivas (25 in PKL 11).
  • Devank averages 13 points per game against Tamil with a massive 89% raid SR.

Team Stories

Tamil Thalaivas – PKL 12 So Far

M#1 vs Telugu Titans: Won 38–35
M#5 vs U Mumba: Lost 33–36
M#18 vs Gujarat Giants: Lost 28–37

  • Tamil Thalaivas started with a narrow win over Telugu Titans but lost their next two games to slip to the bottom half.
  • They were leading at half-time vs U Mumba before letting the game slip away, and then fell flat against Gujarat Giants.
  • Arjun Deshwal was their standout performer in the first two matches with back-to-back Super 10s but struggled in the third match.
  • The Thalaivas will need their defence to back up the raiders if they are to get back on track.

Tamil Thalaivas Defence Led by Nitesh Kumar

  • Tamil have averaged 11 tackle points per match this season — showing promise but lacking consistency.
  • They were the best defensive unit in PKL 11 and are looking to rediscover that form.
  • Nitesh Kumar, their best defender from last season, has started well and is expected to anchor the defence.
  • Thalaivas’ top defenders so far:
    • Nitesh Kumar – 11 tackle points
    • Himanshu – 7 tackle points
    • Aashish – 7 tackle points

Bengal Warriorz – PKL 12 So Far

M#6 vs Haryana Steelers: Won 54–44
M#11 vs Puneri Paltan: Lost 36–45
M#19 vs Telugu Titans: Lost 34–44
M#23 vs Dabang Delhi K.C.: Lost 34–45

  • Bengal Warriorz started brightly with a 10-point win over Haryana Steelers but have since suffered three consecutive defeats.
  • Their loss to Dabang Delhi was their third straight setback, after earlier defeats to Pune and the Titans.
  • Devank has been their lone bright spot, with 4 Super 10s in 4 games, but has received little support from other raiders.
  • The Warriorz defence has struggled for rhythm and will need to step up to avoid slipping further down the table.

Warriorz Defence Will Need to Up Their Game

  • Bengal’s defence has been highly inconsistent, alternating between good and poor outings.
  • Despite losing to Titans, their corners were a positive — both Nitesh Kumar and Ashish got High 5s as the team notched 12 tackle points.
  • That was Nitesh Kumar’s 29th career High 5 — the 4th most in PKL history.
  • Nitesh has also historically performed well against Tamil Thalaivas and will look to lead the defence again.
  • This sets up a fascinating mini-battle:
    • For Tamil: Nitesh (left corner) & Aashish (right corner)
    • For Bengal: Nitesh (right corner) & Ashish (left corner)

Head-to-Head in PKL

  • Overall: Matches – 16 | Tamil Thalaivas – 5 | Bengal Warriorz – 10 | Tied – 1
  • Since PKL 9: Matches – 6 | Tamil Thalaivas – 4 | Bengal Warriorz – 1 | Tied – 1
  • Tamil Thalaivas beat Bengal Warriorz in both their meetings in PKL 11, including two high-margin wins.

Key Player Battles

Tamil Thalaivas’ Raiders vs Bengal Warriorz’ Defenders
 Arjun Deshwal 15 – 7 Nitesh Kumar
 Arjun Deshwal 6 – 5 Ashish
 Arjun Deshwal 15 – 6 Mayur Kadam

Bengal Warriorz’ Raiders vs Tamil Thalaivas’ Defenders
 Devank 4 – 0 Himanshu
 Devank 5 – 2 Nitesh Kumar

What to Expect

  • This match will hinge on the battle between two of PKL’s premier raiders — Arjun Deshwal and Devank.
  • Tamil will hope Arjun returns to his early-season form while their defence, led by Nitesh, steps up to stop Devank.
  • For Bengal, Devank’s heroics must be backed by support raiders and a sharper defensive showing from their corner duo of Nitesh and Ashish.
  • If Tamil’s defence holds firm, they could halt Bengal’s charge and climb back into the top half of the table.

Match Details

  • Match: Tamil Thalaivas vs Bengal Warriorz – Match 30, PKL Season 12
  • Date: Friday, 12th September 2025
  • Time: 9:00 PM IST
  • Venue: SMS Indoor Stadium, Jaipur
  • 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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