Two teams with contrasting playoff experiences collide in Play-In 2 of PKL 12 in a high-stakes knockout encounter. U Mumba seek to extend their playoff run with their formidable raiding duo of Ajit Chouhan and Sandeep, whilst Patna Pirates rely on youngster Ayan's extraordinary individual brilliance to overcome their weak defensive structure. This match carries significant historical weight, with both sides having contested multiple playoff battles throughout Pro Kabaddi's history.

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

Patna Pirates

  • Right Corner – Navdeep
  • Right In – Milan Dahiya
  • Right Cover – Deepak
  • Centre – Ankit Kumar
  • Left Cover – Balaji D
  • Left In – Ayan
  • Left Corner – Ankit (C)

Headlines

➢ Patna Pirates finished the season with a 5-game winning streak

➢ Ayan has been incredible, one of the best raiders in the league

➢ Navdeep has established himself as a good right corner

➢ U Mumba will be happy that Ajit Chouhan finished the league stage with a Super 10

➢ Ajit and Sandeep are the 1–2 raiding duo for U Mumba

➢ Captain Sunil Kumar is the only player with 50+ tackle points and 50+ assists in PKL 12

➢ Sunil Kumar's defence has been crucial going into the playoffs

Top Stories of the Match

Youngster Ayan Takes on Veteran Sunil Kumar Led U Mumba Defence

Ayan has been the primary catalyst for Patna Pirates' playoff qualification, accumulating nearly 250 raid points throughout the league stage.

Ayan in PKL 12

Matches

Raid Points

Avg Raid Points

Raid SR%

Super 10s

18

242

13.4

71%

12

He has established himself as one of the league's elite raiders, averaging the second-highest raid points per match this season. He finished powerfully, scoring more than 15 raid points in three of his final four encounters.

Best Average Raid Points in PKL 12

Player

Raid Points

Avg Raid Points

Raid SR%

Devank

271

16.9

74%

Ayan

242

13.4

71%

Ashu Malik

146

12.2

62%

Ayan maintains excellence across all defender-in-play scenarios, achieving 83 per cent success against six to seven defenders whilst holding the league's most raid points in both super tackle and four to five defender situations. Critically, he delivered an outstanding 21 raid points at 81 per cent success when they met earlier this season.

Ayan in PKL 12 – DIP Wise

DIP

Raid Points

Raid SR%

6–7

154

83%

4–5

43

45%

2–3

43

77%

However, U Mumba's defence has strengthened considerably since their previous encounter. They now maintain the joint second-best average tackle points (11.9) throughout the league and have accumulated at least 14 tackle points across each of their final four matches.

Best Average Tackle Points in PKL 12

Team

Avg Tackle Points

Tackle SR%

Puneri Paltan

12.1

47%

U Mumba

11.9

46%

Haryana Steelers

11.9

45%

Captain Sunil Kumar remains U Mumba's defensive cornerstone, accumulating 51 tackle points at a 54 per cent success rate with four High 5s. Remarkably, he represents the sole player across the entire league with 50+ tackle points and 50+ assists. He performs considerably better in the second half, maintaining 60 per cent success post-interval. Right corner, Rinku has provided excellent support, contributing 41 tackle points at 49 per cent success.

Team Stories

U Mumba – PKL 12 So Far

Recent Results

  • M#107 vs UP Yoddhas – Lost 32–35 (3-point defeat)
  • M#101 vs Jaipur Pink Panthers – Won 37–36 (1-point victory)
  • M#98 vs Haryana Steelers – Won 37(7)–37(5) (tiebreaker victory)
  • M#89 vs Telugu Titans – Won 33–26 (7-point victory)
  • M#82 vs UP Yoddhas – Lost 24–40 (16-point defeat)

U Mumba have constructed their playoff campaign through resilience and momentum. Their raiding duo of Ajit Chouhan and Sandeep has overcome initial injuries, with both raiders performing optimally entering the knockouts.

Ajit Chouhan and Sandeep combined for 222 raid points across the league stage. Ajit concluded the season with consecutive Super 10s, whilst Sandeep demonstrated consistent early-match form.

U Mumba Going Into Playoffs With a Solid Raiding Duo

U Mumba's raiding unit, whilst not their primary strength, has delivered consistently throughout the league's conclusion. They maintain the second-lowest raid success rate (44%) and average raid points (19.4).

U Mumba Raiding in PKL 12

Matches

Raid Points

Avg Raid Points

Raid SR%

18

349

19.4

44%

Ajit Chouhan and Sandeep in PKL 12

Player

Raid Points

Avg Raid Points

Raid SR%

Super 10s

Ajit Chouhan

106

7.6

60%

6

Sandeep

116

7.3

47%

5

Ajit performs markedly better pre-interval (64 raid points at 68% success) versus post-interval (42 points at 52%). He excels when bonus lines remain active, maintaining the third-best success rate against six to seven defenders amongst raiders with 50+ raid points. However, both raiders struggle in super tackle situations, registering the league's second-lowest raid success rate (40%) in these scenarios.

Patna Pirates – PKL 12 So Far

Recent Results

  • M#108 vs Jaipur Pink Panthers – Won 33–18 (15-point victory)
  • M#105 vs Dabang Delhi – Won 61–26 (35-point victory)
  • M#99 vs Puneri Paltan – Won 38–27 (11-point victory)
  • M#91 vs Bengal Warriorz – Won 51–49 (2-point victory)
  • M#88 vs Bengaluru Bulls – Won 32–32 (6–5 tiebreaker victory)

Patna Pirates engineered a remarkable turnaround, securing five consecutive victories to qualify for the playoffs. After a disastrous opening where they won merely one of their first six matches, Ayan's emergence transformed their campaign dramatically.

Can Navdeep and Ankit Carry Patna Pirates' Defence?

Navdeep has established himself as Patna Pirates' premier defender, reaching 50 tackle points during the league stage.

Patna Pirates Corners in PKL 12

Player

Tackle Points

Avg Tackle Points

Tackle SR%

Navdeep

50

2.9

50%

Ankit

44

2.4

45%

Navdeep demonstrates significantly improved performance in the second half, achieving 59 per cent success post-interval versus 42 per cent pre-interval. Ankit performs optimally during the opening 10 minutes (57% success) before progressively declining to approximately 40 per cent thereafter.

Patna Pirates maintain the league's lowest average tackle points (8.7) – their most significant vulnerability. However, they concluded positively, accumulating at least 10 tackle points across four of their final six matches with 50+ per cent success in their concluding three games.

Head-to-Head in PKL

Overall Record: Matches – 24 | U Mumba – 14 | Patna Pirates – 9 | Tied – 1

Since PKL 9: Matches – 8 | U Mumba – 5 | Patna Pirates – 3

These sides have contested multiple playoff encounters across seasons. U Mumba prevailed in PKL 2's semifinal en route to championship victory, though Patna claimed revenge by winning PKL 3's final. Patna dominated their previous year's eliminator.

Recent Meeting

Match

Season

U Mumba

Patna Pirates

Result

M#27

PKL 12

40

39

U Mumba Won by 1 point

Key Player Battles – PKL 12

U Mumba Raiders vs Patna Pirates Defenders

  • Ajit Chouhan 0–2 Navdeep
  • Sandeep 1–1 Deepak

Patna Pirates Raiders vs U Mumba Defenders

  • Ayan 5–1 Parvesh Bhainswal
  • Ayan 2–0 Rinku
  • Ayan 1–1 Sunil Kumar

What to Expect

This knockout encounter presents a compelling mismatch between Ayan's devastating raiding prowess and U Mumba's formidable defensive structure. Ayan's unmatched ability in crowded situations directly challenges U Mumba's super tackle excellence.

U Mumba's dual raiding strength provides balance, yet Patna's defensive fragility represents their critical vulnerability. Sunil Kumar's veteran leadership and Ayan's clutch mentality will likely prove decisive. Their previous one-point thriller suggests another fiercely contested affair.

Expect an enthralling playoff battle where raiding brilliance overwhelms defensive solidity. Ayan's individual excellence, combined with U Mumba's improved defence, creates genuine uncertainty, though Patna's playoff momentum potentially edges them forward in this high-stakes encounter.

Match Details

  • Match: U Mumba vs Patna Pirates – Play-In 2, PKL Season 12
  • Date: Saturday, 25th October 2025
  • Time: 9 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.

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