PKL Season 12 Match Preview: U Mumba vs Gujarat Giants – The Rivalry of Sunil & Shadloui

PKL Season 12 Match Preview: U Mumba vs Gujarat Giants – The Rivalry of Sunil & Shadloui

The excitement in Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 (PKL 12) continues with Match 4 as U Mumba take on Gujarat Giants. The battle promises high intensity, with record signing Mohammadreza Shadloui leading Gujarat Giants, while experienced captain Sunil Kumar looks to guide his team to a stellar run this season.

Head-to-Head Record: U Mumba vs Gujarat Giants

In their 16 PKL meetings, Gujarat Giants hold a commanding edge over U Mumba:

Gujarat Giants – 10 wins

U Mumba – 5 wins

Tied – 1

Recent form heavily favours Gujarat, who have won 4 of the last 5 encounters between the two sides. U Mumba will be looking to turn the tide and start their season positively.

U Mumba Squad for PKL Season 12

After breaking their playoff drought in PKL 11 with a 5th-place finish, U Mumba retained their successful core while making strategic additions through the auction.

Key Auction Buys:

Anil (All-rounder) – ₹78 lakh

Sandeep Kumar (Raider) – ₹49 lakh

Mohammad Ghorbani (All-rounder, Iran) – ₹13 lakh

Retained Core:

Raiders: Ajit Chouhan, Satish Kannan

Defenders: Sunil Kumar (Captain), Deepak Kundu, Lokesh Ghosliya, Mukilan Shanmugam, Sunny

All-rounder: Amirmohammad Zafardanesh

Full Squad Highlights:

Raiders: Ajit Chouhan, Satish Kannan, Mukeshkannan S, Abhimanyu Raghuvanshi, Sandeep Kumar

Defenders: Sunil Kumar, Deepak Kundu, Lokesh Ghosliya, Sunny, Mukilan Shanmugam, Ravi, Rinku, Parvesh Bhainswal

All-rounders: Rohit, Amirmohammad Zafardanesh (F), Amarjeet, Mohammad Ghorbani (F), Anil

With Ajit Chouhan leading the raiding charge, supported by proven defenders Sunil Kumar and Parvesh Bhainswal, U Mumba look set to build on their PKL 11 resurgence.

Gujarat Giants Squad for PKL Season 12

Gujarat Giants made the auction's biggest statement by securing two-time PKL champion Mohammadreza Shadloui for a record ₹2.23 crore, the most expensive player in PKL 12 auction history.

Key Auction Buys:

Mohammadreza Shadloui (All-rounder/Captain, Iran) – ₹2.23 crore

Ajith V Kumar (Raider) – ₹36.30 lakh

Shubham Kumar (Left Cover) – ₹27.40 lakh

Lucky Sharma (Right Cover) – ₹19.50 lakh

Retained Core:

Raiders: Rakesh, Parteek Dahiya, Himanshu Singh

Defenders: Amit, Sumit

All-rounder: Visvanth V

Full Squad Highlights:

Raiders: Rakesh, Parteek Dahiya, Himanshu Singh, Himanshu, Shridhar Ananda Kadam, Ankit, K Harish, Ajith V Kumar

Defenders: Amit, Sumit, K Harish, Rohit Kumar, Milad Jabbari, Lucky Sharma, Shubham Kumar

All-rounders: Himanshu Yadav, Visvanth V, Nitin Panwar, Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh (F)

With Shadloui's championship experience leading the defence and a bolstered raiding unit featuring Rakesh, Parteek Dahiya, and new signing Ajith V Kumar, Gujarat Giants aim to end their title drought.

What to Expect

Record Signing Impact: Shadloui's ₹2.23 crore price tag brings massive expectations as he aims to deliver Gujarat's first PKL title.

Leadership Duel: Sunil Kumar's proven captaincy (77 wins as captain - most in PKL) versus Shadloui's fresh leadership role sets up an intriguing battle.

Ajit Chouhan's Continued Rise: The young raider, coming off 185 raid points in PKL 11, looks to build on his breakthrough season.

Playoff Stakes: Both teams missed the Playoffs in PKL 11, making every match crucial in their quest to reach the top 8.

Match Details

• Match: U Mumba vs Gujarat Giants
• Tournament: Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 - Match 4
• Date: Saturday, August 30, 2025
• Venue: Vishwanadh Sports Club, Visakhapatnam
• Time: 7:30 PM onwards
• 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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