PKL Season 12 Match 46 Preview: Tamil Thalaivas vs UP Yoddhas – Battle of Struggling Powerhouses

Two teams grappling with poor form collide as Tamil Thalaivas take on UP Yoddhas in Match 46 of PKL Season 12. The Thalaivas sit 8th in the table after back-to-back defeats, while the Yoddhas find themselves at 10th position following four consecutive losses. This encounter promises to be a crucial battle for both sides, looking to arrest their declining fortunes.

Probable Starting 7

Tamil Thalaivas

• Right Corner – Arulnanthababu
• Right In – Himanshu
• Right Cover – Ronak
• Centre – Moein Shafaghi
• Left Cover – Suresh Jadhav
• Left In – Arjun Deshwal (C)
• Left Corner – Nitesh Kumar

UP Yoddhas

• Right Corner – Hitesh
• Right In – Bhavani Rajput
• Right Cover – Ashu Singh
• Centre – Guman Singh
• Left Cover – Mahender Singh
• Left In – Gagan Gowda
• Left Corner – Sumit (C)

Headlines

➢ Both teams are coming into the match in poor form

➢ Tamil Thalaivas have lost 2 matches back-to-back, while UP Yoddhas have lost 4 in a row

➢ Thalaivas sit at 8th in the table and the Yoddhas at 10th

➢ Arjun Deshwal got a great Super 10 and tried his best, but the Thalaivas fell short to the Steelers in the last game

➢ Nitesh Kumar and Ronak have been stepping up in defence for the Thalaivas

➢ Gagan Gowda has stepped into the role of a lead raider and has one of the best raid SR% in the league

➢ Sumit has been leading the defence well, but overall defence has not been performing as a unit

Top Stories of the Match

Raid Machine Arjun Deshwal – Back to His Best

Arjun Deshwal has been one of the best raiders in the league for the past several seasons, since PKL 8. He is the only raider who has crossed 1000 raid points since PKL 8 in the league.

Most Raid Points Since PKL 8:

Player	Matches	Raid Points	Avg Raid Points	Raid SR%
Arjun Deshwal	99	1145	11.6	61%
Maninder Singh	83	824	9.9	62%
Ashu Malik	98	813	8.3	55%

He has been in great form this season too. He had an off game against the Telugu Titans in the previous match but was back to his best against the Steelers, delivering a wonderful Super 10 and single-handedly keeping the Thalaivas in the game, though they couldn't secure the win.

Arjun Deshwal vs Haryana Steelers – M#44:

• Raids: 19
• Raid Points: 13
• Raid SR%: 68%

He has 5 Super 10s in 7 matches so far and boasts the 5th-best average raid points in the league.

That's tied for the 3rd most Super 10s in the entire league. Arjun maintains a raid SR% of at least 50% in all 4 intervals of the game, though his weaker phase was traditionally the last 10 minutes, where he was caught more often trying for extra points in the first 6 matches.

However, in the last match, he was excellent in the final 10 minutes, scoring 8 raid points at an outstanding 89% success rate against the Steelers.

Arjun has historically done well against UP Yoddhas till PKL 11, but had one of his worst matches against them in the eliminator last season when playing for Jaipur Pink Panthers. He was substituted as the Yoddhas thrashed the Pink Panthers, ending with just 2 raid points. He'll be looking for revenge this time.

Gagan Gowda – Carrying the UP Yoddhas Raiding Unit

Gagan Gowda has been the best raider for UP Yoddhas this season so far.

Gagan Gowda has the best raid SR% in the entire league among raiders with at least 30 raid points in PKL 12.

Gagan Gowda's average of 11.5 raid points per match is the 4th best in the entire league. He was not in great form in the last match against Bengal Warriorz, failing to achieve a Super 10.

Gagan Gowda vs Bengal Warriorz in M#35:

• Raids: 16
• Raid Points: 7
• Raid SR%: 44%

He has picked up 21 bonus points in just the last 3 games and leads the league in most bonus points this season.

Most Bonus Points in PKL 12:

Player	Bonus Points
Gagan Gowda	38
Devank	32
Vijay Malik	30

Gagan Gowda is exceptional in the last 10 minutes of games, maintaining a raid SR% greater than 100%. He has the best raid SR% in the final 10 minutes among all raiders with at least 10 raid points.

Gagan Gowda excels when there are 6-7 defenders on the mat, ranking 2nd in most raid points and 2nd best raid SR% in this situation.

Most Raid Points in 6-7 DIP in PKL 12:

Player	Raid Points	Raid SR%
Devank	83	77%
Gagan Gowda	67	87%
Vijay Malik	65	58%

Gagan has capable backup raiders in Guman Singh and Bhavani Rajput, though Bhavani has struggled this season. In the last match, they opted for just 2 raiders and played Sahul Kumar as an extra defender instead of Bhavani Rajput.

UP Yoddhas Support Raiders in PKL 12:

Player	Matches	Raid Points	Raid SR%
Guman Singh	6	24	46%
Bhavani Rajput	6	16	31%

Team Stories

Tamil Thalaivas – PKL 12 So Far

PKL 12 Summary [Last 5 Matches]:

Match	Opponent	Score	Result
M#45	Haryana Steelers	36-38	Lost by 2 points
M#42	Telugu Titans	29-43	Lost by 14 points
M#36	Bengaluru Bulls	35-29	Won by 6 points
M#30	Bengal Warriorz	46-36	Won by 10 points
M#18	Gujarat Giants	28-37	Lost by 9 points

Tamil Thalaivas suffered a heartbreaking loss against Haryana Steelers in their last game. After falling behind significantly in the first half, they fought back courageously led by Arjun Deshwal's Super 10, but the defence couldn't consistently secure tackle points, allowing the Steelers to hold on for victory.

Tamil Thalaivas With a Drop in Defence – Need to Bounce Back

Tamil Thalaivas' defence has been performing adequately this season overall.

Tamil Thalaivas Defence in PKL 12:

Matches	Tackle Points	Avg Tackle Points	Tackle SR%
7	74	10.6	42%

There's a clear correlation between their defensive performance and match results, with significantly better stats in wins.

Tamil Thalaivas Defence in PKL 12:

Stats	Wins	Losses
Matches	3	4
Tackles	83	92
Tackle Points	38	36
Avg Tackle Points	12.7	9.0
Tackle SR%	46%	39%

Their form has declined in the last two matches, contributing significantly to their defeats. They'll need to bounce back against UP Yoddhas, who possess one of the best raiders in Gagan Gowda.

Tamil Thalaivas' Defence in the Last Two Games:

Tackles	Tackle Points	Avg Tackle Points	Tackle SR%
48	15	7.5	31%

Nitesh Kumar has been the defensive leader and their only player to score a High 5 this season.

Most Tackle Points for Thalaivas in PKL 12:

Player	Tackle Points	Tackle SR%	Assists
Nitesh Kumar	19	48%	18
Ronak	14	45%	30
Himanshu	14	48%	8

Ronak has been performing excellently and is their in-form defender recently. Besides scoring points, Ronak has provided crucial support with 30 assists this season (2nd most in PKL 12).

Ronak in PKL 12:

Period	First 3 Matches	Last 4 Matches
Tackles	9	22
Tackle Points	3	11
Tackle SR%	33%	50%
Assists	16	14

In the last match, they introduced Arulnanthababu from the bench, who delivered a solid performance with 5 points (2 tackle points + 3 raid points). He might start at the right corner position in the upcoming matches.

UP Yoddhas – PKL 12 So Far

PKL 12 Summary [Last 5 Matches]:

Match	Opponent	Score	Result
M#35	Bengal Warriorz	37-41	Lost by 4 points
M#31	Jaipur Pink Panthers	29-41	Lost by 12 points
M#26	Puneri Paltan	32-43	Lost by 11 points
M#16	Haryana Steelers	32-37	Lost by 5 points
M#7	Patna Pirates	34-31	Won by 3 points

UP Yoddhas' season has taken a complete turn for the worse after a strong start. They have now lost four matches consecutively, including a close defeat to Bengal Warriorz in their last game. Sitting in 10th place in the league table, they desperately need to turn their season around.

Hitesh, Ashu Come Good – But Yoddhas' Defence Needs to Perform as a Unit

Sumit was contributing most of the tackle points for UP Yoddhas throughout the tournament, but both Ashu Singh and Hitesh came into form in the last match, falling just 1 short of a High 5 each.

UP Yoddhas' Defence vs Warriorz in M#35:

Player	Tackles	Tackle Points	Tackle SR%
Hitesh	8	4	50%
Ashu Singh	5	4	80%

Ashu Singh has maintained an excellent tackle SR% throughout the season, ranking in the top 5 amongst all defenders with 10+ tackle points.

Best Tackle SR% in PKL 12 (10+ Tackle Points):

Player	Tackle Points	Tackle SR%
Nitin Panwar	17	71%
Vishal Bhardwaj	23	68%
Gaurav Khatri	30	64%
Ashu Singh	13	62%

Sumit has been in good form for most of the tournament, tied for the 2nd best average tackle points in the league. He's one of six defenders averaging more than 3 tackle points per game, despite managing just 1 tackle point against Bengal Warriorz.

Best Average Tackle Points in PKL 12:

Player	Tackle Points	Avg Tackle Points	Tackle SR%
Ashish	23	3.8	55%
Sumit	20	3.3	56%
Gaurav Khatri	30	3.3	64%

Mahender Singh has struggled significantly this season, failing to contribute meaningfully.

Mahender Singh in PKL 12:

Matches	Tackle Points	Avg Tackle Points	Tackle SR%
6	5	0.8	24%

UP Yoddhas, as a defensive uni,t have the 3rd lowest tackle SR% in the league.

Lowest Tackle SR% in PKL 12:

Team	Tackle Points	Tackle SR%
Bengal Warriorz	59	32%
Patna Pirates	60	36%
UP Yoddhas	53	36%

Head-to-Head in PKL

Overall: Matches – 17 | Tamil Thalaivas – 8 | UP Yoddhas – 6 | Tied – 3 Since PKL 9: Matches – 7 | Tamil Thalaivas – 5 | UP Yoddhas – 2

The two teams have an almost equal head-to-head record with Tamil Thalaivas slightly ahead. However, since PKL 9, it has been one-sided as the Thalaivas have won 5 of 7 matches, including a thrilling tiebreaker victory in the PKL 9 eliminator.

Last 5 Match Results:

Match	Thalaivas	Yoddhas	Result
M#77 PKL 11	40	26	Thalaivas Won by 14
M#69 PKL 11	24	40	Yoddhas Won by 16
M#108 PKL 10	32	25	Thalaivas Won by 7
M#65 PKL 10	46	27	Thalaivas Won by 19
Eliminator 2 PKL 9	36	36	Thalaivas Won in Tiebreaker

Key Player Battles

Tamil Thalaivas' Raiders vs UP Yoddhas' Defenders

• Arjun Deshwal 23–11 Ashu Singh
• Arjun Deshwal 5–6 Hitesh
• Arjun Deshwal 18–8 Sumit
• Arjun Deshwal 8–4 Mahender Singh
• Narender 8–4 Sumit
• Narender 4–5 Ashu Singh

UP Yoddhas' Raiders vs Tamil Thalaivas' Defenders

• Gagan Gowda 3–1 Nitesh Kumar

What to Expect

This match represents a classic battle between individual brilliance and collective struggles. Arjun Deshwal's exceptional raiding prowess will be tested against UP Yoddhas' improving defence, while Gagan Gowda's consistency faces Tamil Thalaivas' rejuvenated defensive unit led by Nitesh Kumar and the in-form Ronak.

Both teams desperately need victories to climb the table, making this encounter crucial for their playoff aspirations. The team that can best support their star raider while maintaining defensive discipline is likely to emerge victorious.

Tamil Thalaivas hold a psychological advantage with their recent dominance in this fixture, but UP Yoddhas will be determined to break their losing streak and prove their early-season promise wasn't a fluke.

Match Details

• Match: Tamil Thalaivas vs UP Yoddhas – Match 46, PKL Season 12
• Date: Monday, 22nd September 2025
• Time: 9 PM
• 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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