Two teams locked in a fierce battle for playoff contention clash in Match 101 of PKL 12 as U Mumba face Jaipur Pink Panthers. Captain Sunil Kumar's stellar defensive performances meet Nitin Dhankar's resurgent raiding excellence, whilst Sandeep's consistency faces Jaipur's defensive vulnerabilities in a match that could define both teams' seasons.

Probable Starting 7

U Mumba

  • Right Corner – Rinku
  • Right In – A Zafardanesh
  • Right Cover – Sunil Kumar (C)
  • Centre – Sandeep
  • Left Cover – Parvesh Bhainswal
  • Left In – Ajit Chouhan
  • Left Corner – Vijay Kumar

Jaipur Pink Panthers

  • Right Corner – Deepanshu Khatri
  • Right In – Ali Samadi
  • Right Cover – Aashish
  • Centre – Nitin Dhankar
  • Left Cover – Reza Mirbagheri
  • Left In – Nitin Rawal (C)
  • Left Corner – Aryan Kumar

Headlines

➢ Both teams coming off back-to-back wins in previous matches
➢ Both teams are in the midst of battle for playoffs
➢ U Mumba are slightly ahead in the table at 5th; Jaipur Pink Panthers are at 7th
➢ Nitin Dhankar back with a Super 10 for the Pink Panthers
➢ Corners in form, combining for 7 tackle points in last game
➢ U Mumba pulled off thrilling victory in tie-breaker in last game
➢ Captain Sunil Kumar continues fine form

Top Stories of the Match

Captain Sunil Kumar Takes On His Former Team and Nitin Dhankar

Sunil Kumar's Exceptional Season

Captain Sunil Kumar plays against his former team Jaipur Pink Panthers, where he won a title in PKL 9 and enjoyed tremendously successful seasons. His commanding presence and leadership have been paramount to U Mumba's resurgence this campaign.

Sunil Kumar and Rinku have been the best defenders for the U Mumba lineup this season, with Sunil Kumar accumulating 45 tackle points at a 2.8 average with a 56% success rate and 4 High 5s, whilst Rinku contributed 36 tackle points at a 2.2 average with a 48% success rate and 2 High 5s.

His outstanding form in recent matches has completely transformed his campaign after a slow start. In his last 12 games, he has accumulated 41 tackle points at a 3.4 average with a superior 66% success rate and 4 High 5s.

Notably, he possesses 53 assists – the most by any player in U Mumba in PKL 12 – placing him amongst just 8 defenders in the entire league to exceed 50 assists.

Sunil Kumar demonstrates markedly superior performance in the second half compared to the first half this season, with even his last match exemplifying this tendency. In the first half, he recorded 18 tackle points at a 47% success rate, whilst in the second half he accumulated 27 tackle points at a commanding 64% success rate. His last match saw 3 of his 4 tackle points arrive in the second half.

U Mumba's Defensive Strength

U Mumba's defence boasts the third-best average tackle points in the league at 11.6 with a 45% success rate, establishing them as a formidable defensive unit. Puneri Paltan lead with 12.1 average points at 47% success rate, followed by Haryana Steelers with 11.8 at 44% success rate.

There will be enormous pressure on the U Mumba defence to perform, as their defensive contributions have directly correlated with match results this season. They have secured 9 wins with 228 tackles and 126 tackle points in victories, compared to only 60 tackle points across 8 losses, averaging 14.0 tackle points per win against 8.6 per loss.

They have now achieved 4 consecutive matches with more than 10 tackle points, maintaining a tackle success rate greater than 50% in 3 of these four fixtures. Against Haryana Steelers (M#98), they recorded 24 tackles with 15 tackle points at 63% success rate. Against Telugu Titans (M#89), they achieved 26 tackles with 14 tackle points at 54% success rate. Against UP Yoddhas (M#82), they managed 25 tackles with 11 tackle points at 44% success rate. Against Bengal Warriorz (M#76), they secured 31 tackles with 16 tackle points at 52% success rate.

They are particularly formidable in super tackle situations, possessing 44 tackle points at a 76% success rate – the second-highest in PKL 12. Gujarat Giants lead the category with 42 tackle points at 95% success rate, whilst Haryana Steelers follow with 54 tackle points at 71% success rate.

However, they will face a stern examination, as Nitin Dhankar has returned from injury in devastating fashion with back-to-back Super 10s in his last two matches.

Nitin Dhankar's Exceptional Return and Career-Best Season

Best Raiding Form of His Career

Nitin Dhankar is enjoying the finest raiding season of his professional career. In PKL 12, he has accumulated 135 raid points from 13 matches at a 10.4 average with an impressive 60% success rate and 9 Super 10s. This represents a significant improvement on his previous seasons: in PKL 10 he scored 169 raid points at an 8.5 average with 55% success rate and 8 Super 10s, whilst in PKL 11 he managed 118 raid points at an 8.4 average with 46% success rate and 6 Super 10s.

His recent performances following injury return have been particularly impressive, with 26 raid points across his last two matches at a 13.0 average and 72% success rate, accumulating 2 Super 10s.

Nitin demonstrates exceptional versatility across all defenders-in-play situations. In 6-7 defender scenarios, he accumulated 84 raid points at a 68% success rate. In 4-5 defender situations, he managed 24 raid points at 40% success rate. In 2-3 defender scenarios, he registered 25 raid points at 63% success rate, ensuring consistency regardless of defensive composition.

His interval-wise performance reveals consistency throughout matches, maintaining success rates above 50% in each 10-minute interval. He performs at his absolute best during the opening and closing periods: in minutes 1-10 he scored 43 raid points at 65% success rate, minutes 11-20 saw him record 22 raid points at 54% success rate, minutes 21-30 yielded 31 raid points at 53% success rate, and minutes 31-40 saw him accumulate 39 raid points at an outstanding 64% success rate.

Significantly, he had struggled in his first three encounters against U Mumba this season. However, this narrative changed during their meeting in Match 48, where he delivered 14 raid points at a 74% success rate from 19 raids, crucially securing a decisive point against Sunil Kumar in the final moments to force the match to overtime.

Team Stories

U Mumba

PKL 12 Summary – Last 5 Matches

U Mumba's recent form has been impressive, beginning with a thrilling tie-breaker victory against Haryana Steelers (37-37, won via tie-breaker in M#98). They followed this with a 7-point victory over Telugu Titans (33-26 in M#89), though they suffered a heavy 16-point defeat to UP Yoddhas (24-40 in M#82). They bounced back with a dominant 19-point demolition of Bengal Warriorz (48-29 in M#76) before losing by 10 points to Puneri Paltan (27-37 in M#72).

U Mumba have orchestrated a remarkable resurgence, pulling off a thrilling victory against Haryana Steelers in a tie-breaker. Following a level scoreline at half-time, Parvesh Bhainswal produced a crucial tackle whilst Satish Kannan executed an excellent raid to secure victory. They have now ascended to 5th position in the table, establishing themselves as legitimate playoff contenders.

Their raiding unit has demonstrated balanced contributions, with Sandeep and Ajit Chouhan combining for 14 raid points in their recent victory. Sunil Kumar narrowly missed a High 5, falling just 1 point short.

Raiding Inconsistency in Super Tackle Situations

Whilst their defence has thrived, U Mumba's raiding unit continues to struggle in specific scenarios, particularly super tackle situations where they possess the second-lowest raid success rate in the league at 42%. UP Yoddhas rank lowest with 33% success rate, whilst Tamil Thalaivas achieve 45% success rate.

Against Haryana Steelers, they managed merely 2 successful raids from 9 attempts in super tackle situations. Ajit Chouhan remains their lead raider but demonstrates marked dependency on full-defence scenarios, securing 66 raid points at an 80% success rate when 6-7 defenders are on the mat. However, in 4-5 defender situations he managed only 7 raid points at 19% success rate, and in 2-3 defender scenarios he registered just 6 raid points at 43% success rate.

Conversely, Sandeep has delivered his finest PKL season, surpassing the 100 raid point milestone. He accumulated 112 raid points across 14 matches at an 8.0 average with a 50% success rate and 5 Super 10s. However, he too struggles in super tackle situations with a success rate of just 38%, securing 13 raid points from 34 attempts. In contrast, he thrived in 6-7 defender scenarios with 58 raid points at 62% success rate, and in 4-5 defender situations managed 41 raid points at 43% success rate.

U Mumba's supporting raiders have underperformed this season. A Zafardanesh recorded 34 raid points at a 37% success rate from 13 matches, whilst Anil managed 31 raid points at 33% success rate from 12 matches. However, Satish Kannan has shown promise with 21 raid points at an impressive 57% success rate from 9 appearances, potentially offering a breakthrough option.

Jaipur Pink Panthers

PKL 12 Summary – Last 5 Matches

Jaipur's recent campaign showcases fluctuating fortunes. They defeated Bengal Warriorz (38-30 by 8 points in M#96) before dominating UP Yoddhas (42-29 by 13 points in M#93). However, they suffered a devastating 24-point thrashing from Puneri Paltan (33-57 in M#86), followed by a 21-point defeat against Bengaluru Bulls (26-47 in M#77), and a narrow 3-point loss to Dabang Delhi (26-29 in M#67).

Jaipur Pink Panthers have mounted an impressive comeback following a losing streak, securing consecutive victories. Nitin Dhankar's return against Bengal Warriorz proved impactful, accumulating 15 raid points single-handedly. Meanwhile, their corners Deepanshu Khatri and Aryan Kumar proved outstanding, combining for 7 tackle points.

Currently positioned 7th in the table with 8 wins and 8 losses, they face a crucial encounter against U Mumba that could prove decisive for their playoff aspirations.

Defensive Struggles with Full Defence

Jaipur's defence has not commanded the season's best performances and remains particularly vulnerable in 6-7 defender scenarios. Against Bengal Warriorz, they achieved merely a 25% tackle success rate in this situation despite securing victory, registering only 4 tackle points from 16 attempts.

Jaipur Pink Panthers possess the lowest tackle success rate in 6-7 defender scenarios at 28%, tied with Bengal Warriorz. They accumulated 60 tackle points at this rate, whilst Bengal Warriorz managed 81 tackle points at the same 28% success rate. Patna Pirates follow closely with 68 tackle points at 30% success rate.

Concerningly, none of their defenders maintain a tackle success rate of 50% or above. However, Reza Mirbagheri demonstrates exceptional mastery in 4-5 defender scenarios with 15 tackle points at a 71% success rate from 21 tackles.

Their corners Aryan Kumar and Deepanshu Khatri remain their only defenders to surpass 30 tackle points this season. Aryan Kumar accumulated 38 tackle points at a 2.5 average with 45% success rate and 3 High 5s, whilst Deepanshu Khatri registered 31 tackle points at a 2.1 average with 38% success rate and 1 High 5. Reza Mirbagheri closely follows with 29 tackle points at a 1.8 average with 44% success rate.

Recent performances suggest defensive improvement, as they exceeded 10 tackle points in their last two matches. Against Bengal Warriorz (M#96), they achieved 27 tackles for 11 tackle points at 41% success rate and won the match. Against UP Yoddhas (M#93), they managed 28 tackles for 10 tackle points at 36% success rate and also secured victory, demonstrating that sufficient defensive contribution correlates with match results.

Face-Off in PKL

Overall Record: Matches: 26 | U Mumba: 11 | Jaipur Pink Panthers: 12 | Tied: 3

Since PKL 9: Matches: 7 | U Mumba: 1 | Jaipur Pink Panthers: 5 | Tied: 1

The two sides share an intriguing historical narrative, meeting in the inaugural PKL final (which Jaipur won, becoming the first champions). They maintain nearly equal overall head-to-head records, though Jaipur have dominated recent encounters, winning 5 of the last 7 matches.

Recent Meeting (M#48 PKL 12)

Their earlier meeting this season proved thrilling, ending level at 38-38 before Jaipur secured victory via tie-breaker. Nitin Dhankar and Sandeep both delivered exceptional performances with 14 raid points each, whilst Reza Mirbagheri and Lokesh Ghosliya each contributed 4 tackle points in a fierce battle.

Key Player Battles

U Mumba Raiders vs Jaipur Pink Panthers' Defenders

Ajit Chouhan has dominated his head-to-head battle with Nitin Rawal with a 3–1 record, and also leads Reza Mirbagheri 4–3 in their personal encounters.

Jaipur Pink Panthers' Raiders vs U Mumba Defenders

Nitin Dhankar has established absolute supremacy over Sunil Kumar with an impressive 7–0 record. He also leads Parvesh Bhainswal 4–1 and Rinku 3–2 in their respective head-to-head matchups, showcasing his exceptional raiding prowess against U Mumba's entire defensive unit.

What to Expect

This encounter promises a fascinating tactical battle between contrasting philosophies. U Mumba's exceptional defensive discipline meets Jaipur's reliance upon Nitin Dhankar's individual brilliance in a match that could prove decisive for both teams' playoff aspirations.

The key battle – Nitin Dhankar's raiding mastery versus Sunil Kumar's defensive leadership – will likely prove decisive. Expect a closely contested affair where the team capitalising upon the other's weaknesses emerges victorious. Jaipur's vulnerability in 6-7 defender scenarios could prove exploitable for U Mumba's defence and Ajit Chouhan's raiding prowess, whilst U Mumba's struggles in super tackle situations remain a concern against Nitin Dhankar's exceptional versatility across all game situations.

Match Details:

  • Match: U Mumba vs Jaipur Pink Panthers – Match 101, PKL Season 12
  • Date: Tuesday, 21st October 2025
  • Time: 8:30 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.

Follow Pro Kabaddi onInstagram,Facebook,X &YouTube for all the latest updates!

Related tags:

JaiMumPro Kabaddi League Season 12, 2025 FeaturesNewsMatch PreviewsEnglish