The SMS Indoor Stadium, Jaipur, will witness a high-voltage Southern Derby as the Tamil Thalaivas take on the Bengaluru Bulls in Match 36 of PKL 12. Bulls come in on the back of 4 straight wins, while the Thalaivas look to build on their recent victory under new captain Raid Machine Arjun Deshwal.

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

Bengaluru Bulls
 Right Corner – Yogesh (C)
 Right In – Akash Shinde
 Right Cover – Sanjay
 Centre – Jitender Yadav
 Left Cover – Satyappa Matti
 Left In – Alireza Mirzaian
 Left Corner – Deepak Sankar

Headlines

➢ Southern Derby – Thalaivas vs Bulls
➢ Raid Machine Arjun Deshwal is on fire for Thalaivas
➢ Battle of elite coaches – Sanjeev Baliyan vs BC Ramesh
➢ Bulls with momentum and history against Thalaivas
➢ Four wins in a row for the Bulls — can they make it five?
➢ Alireza Mirzaian emerging as a superstar raider for the Bulls
➢ Can the Thalaivas' defence stay strong against the Bulls?
➢ Yogesh leading the way — undefeated as captain

Top Stories of the Match

Southern Derby – A Thrilling Match Awaits

  • Overall H2H: Matches – 16 | Tamil Thalaivas – 4 | Bengaluru Bulls – 12 | Tied – 0
  • This derby has never produced a tie.
  • Bengaluru Bulls have dominated historically, but Tamil Thalaivas have beaten them twice since PKL 9.
  • Both teams enter this game with momentum — Bulls on a 4-match winning run, Thalaivas fresh from a commanding 10-point win over Bengal Warriorz.

Battle of Elite Coaches – Sanjeev Baliyan vs BC Ramesh

  • This clash also pits two of PKL’s finest minds against each other.
  • Sanjeev Baliyan has guided teams to the playoffs consistently:
    • PKL 3 Champion with Patna Pirates
    • PKL 7 Semi-finalist with U Mumba
    • PKL 9 Champion with Jaipur Pink Panthers
    • PKL 10 Semi-finalist, PKL 11 Eliminator with Jaipur Pink Panthers

  • BC Ramesh has an equally glittering résumé:
    • PKL 6 Champion with Bengaluru Bulls (as Assistant Coach)
    • PKL 7 Champion with Bengal Warriorz
    • PKL 10 Champion with Puneri Paltan
  • Ramesh has led teams to three finals in the last five seasons.
  • His bold decision to make Yogesh captain and revamp the Bulls’ lineup after three straight losses has sparked their current 4-match winning streak.

Raid Machine Arjun Deshwal is on Fire for Thalaivas

  • Arjun has been the PKL’s top raider since Season 8 and is the only player with 1000+ raid points in this period.
  • He also has the most bonus points since PKL 8, and stands 2nd overall in PKL history for bonus points.
  • He has 3 Super 10s in 4 matches this season, averaging 11.5 raid points per match.
  • 58% of Thalaivas’ raid points have come from Arjun alone.
  • As the newly appointed captain, he scored 17 points in their win over Bengal Warriorz.
  • Arjun has a great record vs Bengaluru Bulls — in PKL 11, he averaged 17.5 raid points in two matches (35 total), scoring Super 10s in both.

New Star Raider for the Bulls – Alireza Mirzaian

  • Initially signed as a support raider, Alireza has now become the Bulls’ lead raider.
  • He has 4 Super 10s in 6 games and has been central to their winning run.
  • He tends to score more and at a higher SR% in the second half.
  • Alireza excels in do-or-die situations and has the 3rd most DOD raid points in PKL 12.
  • His partnership with Aashish Malik earlier and now with returning Akash Shinde gives the Bulls balance.
  • Alireza also thrives when there are 4-5 defenders on the mat, consistently converting in pressure situations.

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
M#30 vs Bengal Warriorz – Won 46–36

  • Tamil Thalaivas have had a mixed start with 2 wins and 2 losses.
  • After close losses to U Mumba and Gujarat Giants, they bounced back strongly against Bengal Warriorz.
  • Arjun Deshwal has shouldered the raiding responsibility while the defence searches for consistency.
Thalaivas’ Defence Looking for Inspiration
  • Thalaivas have averaged about 12 tackle points per match, but haven’t been able to convert defensive efforts into consistent wins.
  • Last season, they had the league’s best defence, and will be looking to rediscover that form.
  • Defender tally so far:
    • Nitesh Kumar – 13 tackle points
    • Aashish – 10 tackle points
    • Himanshu – 9 tackle points
    • Ronak – 7 tackle points

Bengaluru Bulls – PKL 12 So Far

M#2 vs Puneri Paltan – Lost 32(4)-32(6) [Tie-breaker]
M#9 vs Dabang Delhi – Lost 34–41
M#15 vs U Mumba – Lost 28–48
M#17 vs Patna Pirates – Won 38–30
M#21 vs Haryana Steelers – Won 40–33
M#29 vs Jaipur Pink Panthers – Won 28–23
M#34 vs Telugu Titans – Won 34–32

  • Bengaluru Bulls have scripted a stunning turnaround after 3 opening losses.
  • They’ve now won 4 in a row, rising rapidly up the table.
  • The new-look defensive setup under captain Yogesh has clicked, while Alireza Mirzaian has led the raids.
Yogesh Leading the Way – Can He Make It Five?
  • Yogesh has captained the Bulls to 4 straight wins and remains unbeaten as captain.
  • He scored his first High 5 against Haryana Steelers and has 12 of his 16 tackle points under his captaincy stint.
  • Deepak Sankar has been superb with a 59% tackle SR and 2 High 5s.
  • Sanjay (17 assists in 7 games) and Satyappa Matti (21 assists in 5 games) have been vital support pillars.
  • The Bulls' defence now functions like a well-oiled unit after looking disjointed early in the season.

Head-to-Head in PKL

  • Overall: Matches – 16 | Tamil Thalaivas – 4 | Bengaluru Bulls – 12 | Tied – 0
  • This Southern Derby has never ended in a tie.
  • Since PKL 9: Matches – 6 | Bulls – 4 | Thalaivas – 2

Key Player Battles

Tamil Thalaivas’ Raiders vs Bengaluru Bulls’ Defenders
 Arjun Deshwal 5 – 0 Sanjay
 Arjun Deshwal 2 – 4 Yogesh
 Narender Kandola 8 – 3 Yogesh

Bengaluru Bulls’ Raiders vs Tamil Thalaivas’ Defenders
 Akash Shinde 0 – 2 Nitesh Kumar
 Akash Shinde 5 – 4 Sagar Rathee

What to Expect

  • The Southern Derby promises fireworks.
  • Thalaivas will rely on Arjun Deshwal’s brilliance while hoping their defence steps up, while Bulls will aim to continue their stunning winning run under Yogesh, with Alireza leading raids.
  • Expect a high-intensity tactical battle between two elite coaches with playoff ambitions.

Match Details

  • Match: Tamil Thalaivas vs Bengaluru Bulls – Match 36, PKL Season 12
  • Date: Tuesday, 16th September 2025
  • Time: 9 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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