PKL SEASON 12 MATCH 27 PREVIEW: U MUMBA VS PATNA PIRATES – YOUNG RAIDERS SET FOR A FIERY DUEL IN VIZAG

The Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 continues in Vizag with a blockbuster clash as U Mumba take on Patna Pirates in Match 27. U Mumba will look to bounce back from their loss against Telugu Titans, while the Pirates are riding high after a sensational victory over Puneri Paltan. With young raiding stars Ajit Chouhan and Ayan set to clash, expect a fierce contest at the Vishwanadh Sports Club.

Probable Starting 7

U Mumba
Right Corner – Rinku
Right In – Sandeep
Right Cover – Sunil Kumar (C)
Centre – Satish Kannan
Left Cover – Parvesh Bhainswal
Left In – Ajit Chouhan
Left Corner – Lokesh Ghosliya

Patna Pirates
Right Corner – Navdeep
Right In – Maninder Singh
Right Cover – Deepak Singh
Centre – Sudhakar M
Left Cover – Sanket Sawant
Left In – Ayan
Left Corner – Ankit (C)

Headlines

➢ U Mumba eye revenge for last season’s Eliminator loss to Patna Pirates
➢ Mumba slipped to their second loss of the season against Telugu Titans without Ajit
➢ Support raiders impressed but defence faltered last game
➢ Patna Pirates stunned Puneri Paltan for their first win of PKL 12
➢ Ayan delivered one of the best raiding displays of the season with 21 raid points
➢ Maninder Singh was benched as Ayan took over as lead raider
➢ Patna’s defence produced their best showing of the season with 13 tackle points

Top Stories of the Match

Ayan vs Ajit Chouhan – Battle of the Young Left Raiders

• After a quiet start to the season, the Pirates roared back with a massive win over Puneri Paltan, led by a jaw-dropping 21 raid points from Ayan. He dismantled the Paltan defence almost single-handedly and has the second-most hand touch raid points in PKL 12.
• Ajit Chouhan has been U Mumba’s spearhead this season, with two Super 10s in four matches. Just as he was hitting top gear, he missed the previous match due to injury. His return could be pivotal.
• Interestingly, both Ajit and Ayan were among the top 5 raiders in PKL 11 and have nearly identical raid SR% this season. Ajit thrives when 6–7 defenders are on the mat, while Ayan excels against 4–5. Both also rank in the top 3 for first-half raid SR% this season.
• In their Eliminator clash last season, Ayan got the better of Ajit — scoring 8 raid points and 2 tackle points to knock Mumba out. This duel could once again decide the outcome of the contest.

Team Stories

U Mumba – PKL 12 So Far

M#4 vs Gujarat Giants: Won 29(6)–29(5) [Tie-breaker]
M#5 vs Tamil Thalaivas: Won 36–33
M#12 vs Haryana Steelers: Lost 36(6)–36(7) [Tie-breaker]
M#15 vs Bengaluru Bulls: Won 48–28
M#25 vs Telugu Titans: Lost 37–45

U Mumba have started strong, sitting inside the top 4 despite the recent loss to Telugu Titans. Missing Ajit hurt their raid unit, but secondary raiders fought well. Their defence has been their biggest strength — Lokesh Ghosliya has been a revelation at left corner, while captain Sunil Kumar roared back to form with a High 5 last game. Rinku and Parvesh Bhainswal are also slowly regaining rhythm, making Mumba one of the league’s most complete defensive units.

Captain Sunil Kumar Finds Form

Mumba struggled defensively early against the Titans, collecting just 2 tackle points in the first half before a 7-point second-half revival led by Sunil Kumar. Sunil bagged his first High 5 of the season and looks to have rediscovered his touch. Rinku earlier delivered a High 5 against Bengaluru Bulls, signalling a potential turnaround for Mumba’s experienced defence. They currently average the most tackle points per game in PKL 12 and boast the league’s best tackle SR%, along with the most super tackles.

Patna Pirates – PKL 12 So Far

M#7 vs UP Yoddhas: Lost 31–34
M#10 vs Jaipur Pink Panthers: Lost 36–39
M#17 vs Bengaluru Bulls: Lost 30–38
M#22 vs Puneri Paltan: Won 48–37

Patna Pirates finally opened their account with a commanding 11-point win over Puneri Paltan. Ayan stole the show with 21 raid points as Maninder Singh was benched. Their defence also delivered 13 tackle points — their first double-digit tackle effort this season. The Pirates will be hoping this victory sparks their revival after three early losses.

Pirates’ Defence Finally Clicks

Patna’s defence had been a major worry in their first three matches, but they came alive against Paltan. None of Puneri’s starting raiders even reached 5 raid points. Patna have the joint second-best tackle SR when 6–7 defenders are on the mat but the lowest when 4–5 defenders are on or in super tackle situations.
No defender has yet crossed 10 tackle points this season, but the signs of revival are encouraging.

Head-to-Head in PKL

Overall: Matches – 23 | U Mumba – 13 | Patna Pirates – 9 | Tied – 1
Since PKL 9: Matches – 7 | U Mumba – 4 | Patna Pirates – 3
They have clashed thrice in the knockouts — Mumba won the PKL 2 semifinal, Pirates won the PKL 3 final, and Pirates again beat Mumba in the PKL 11 Eliminator.

Key Player Battles

U Mumba’s Raiders vs Patna Pirates’ Defenders
Ajit Chouhan 4 – 2 Ankit
Ajit Chouhan 3 – 1 Sanket Sawant

Patna Pirates’ Raiders vs U Mumba’s Defenders
Maninder Singh 16 – 15 Sunil Kumar
Maninder Singh 9 – 6 Parvesh Bhainswal
Maninder Singh 11 – 10 Rinku
Ayan 4 – 1 Lokesh Ghosliya
Ayan 5 – 2 Parvesh Bhainswal
Ayan 4 – 3 Rinku
Ayan 2 – 3 Sunil Kumar
Sudhakar 4 – 0 Rinku

What to Expect

This is set up as a high-octane clash between two young raiding stars. If Ajit returns, the Ayan vs Ajit duel could define the outcome. U Mumba’s defence has been the best in PKL 12 so far, while Patna’s finally came alive last game. Expect an aggressive start and a close finish, with momentum up for grabs for both sides.

Match Details

• Match: U Mumba vs Patna Pirates – Match 27, PKL Season 12
• Date: Thursday, 11th September 2025
• Time: 7:30 PM IST
• Venue: Vishwanadh Sports Club, Vizag
• 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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