The Maharashtra Derby is back as U Mumba take on Puneri Paltan in Match 40 of PKL Season 12 at the SMS Indoor Stadium, Jaipur. Both teams are firmly in the top three of the table and among the best defensive units in the league this season. Expect a tight, tactical, and high-stakes showdown between these two familiar rivals.

Probable Starting 7

U Mumba
 Right Corner – Rinku
 Right In – A. Zafardanesh
 Right Cover – Sunil Kumar (C)
 Centre – Anil
 Left Cover – Parvesh Bhainswal
 Left In – Ajit Chouhan
 Left Corner – Vijay Kumar

Puneri Paltan
 Right Corner – Gaurav Khatri
 Right In – Aditya Shinde
 Right Cover – Abinesh Nadarajan
 Centre – Pankaj Mohite
 Left Cover – Gurdeep
 Left In – Aslam Inamdar (C)
 Left Corner – Vishal Bhardwaj

Headlines

➢ Two of the teams to watch out for this season face off
➢ Two title-winning captains take on each other
➢ Maharashtra Derby – a highly contested rivalry with almost equal head-to-head record
➢ Puneri Paltan are 2nd and U Mumba 3rd in the table
➢ These are the two best defensive teams this season
➢ Gaurav Khatri leading the Paltan defence as one of the best defenders in PKL 12
➢ Aditya Shinde has emerged as lead raider for Puneri Paltan
➢ U Mumba’s veterans have stepped up after Lokesh Ghosliya’s early form
➢ Ajit Chouhan proving to be a reliable lead raider for U Mumba

Top Stories of the Match

Battle of the Two Best Defensive Teams This Season

  • U Mumba and Puneri Paltan are both sitting in the top 3 of the table thanks to their incredible defensive units.
  • Paltan average the most tackle points per match in PKL 12, U Mumba are 2nd.
  • Pune have crossed double-digit tackle points in all but one match this season, including 17 tackle points in their last match.
  • Gaurav Khatri has been the best defender in the league so far — leading in both average tackle points and tackle strike rate among all defenders (10+ tackle pts).
  • He has a tackle SR of 60%+ in every 10-minute interval and is yet to miss a tackle in the 21–30 min phase of games.
  • Remarkably, all 4 starting defenders for Paltan have already scored High 5s this season — the only team to do so.
  • U Mumba have also been consistent, though they’ve dipped in their last two games defensively, failing to cross 10 tackle points.
  • Lokesh Ghosliya was their best defender early on, but after a dip was replaced by Vijay Kumar, who impressed with 4 tackle points last match.

Two Title-Winning Captains Face Off

  • This match will also be a battle between two champion captains.
  • Sunil Kumar, the most successful captain in PKL history, led Jaipur Pink Panthers to the PKL 9 title.
  • Aslam Inamdar led Puneri Paltan to their maiden title in PKL 10 and is seen as the most promising young captain in the league.
  • Sunil had a quiet start this season but has stepped up in the last two matches with vital defensive contributions.
  • Aslam has taken a more passive anchor role, letting Aditya Shinde lead the raiding duties, but can produce big performances when needed — like his Super 10 vs Bengal Warriorz in M#10.

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
M#27 vs Patna Pirates – Won 40–39

  • U Mumba are 3rd on the table with 4 wins in 6 matches.
  • They’re coming off a thrilling 1-point win vs Patna Pirates, where Zafardanesh scored a clutch raid in the final minute to seal the win.
  • Ajit Chouhan, their lead raider, has been battling injury — he started against Patna but had to be substituted after 10 minutes.
  • Their veteran defence, led by Sunil, Rinku, and Parvesh, has been solid but dipped in the last two matches.
U Mumba Raiders Stand Strong
  • Ajit Chouhan has been superb when there are 6–7 defenders on the mat, having the best raid SR% in that situation (10+ raid pts).
  • He’s a first-half heavy raider, with the best first-half raid SR% among raiders with 20+ points.
  • He was unstoppable vs Puneri Paltan in PKL 11, and Mumba will hope he’s fully fit.
  • Zafardanesh has emerged as a clutch performer, scoring a Super 10 last match and also rescuing them vs Titans with 7 raid points off the bench.
  • Their support raiders have maintained a raid SR of 45%+, showing impressive depth.

Puneri Paltan – PKL 12 So Far

M#2 vs Bengaluru Bulls – Won 32(6)–32(4) [Tie-Breaker]
 M#8 vs Gujarat Giants – Won 41–19
 M#11 vs Bengal Warriorz – Won 45–36
 M#14 vs Dabang Delhi – Lost 28(5)–28(5) [Golden Raid 2–0]
 M#22 vs Patna Pirates – Lost 37–48
 M#26 vs UP Yoddhas – Won 43–32
 M#32 vs Telugu Titans – Won 39–33

  • Paltan are 2nd on the table with 5 wins in 7 matches.
  • They began with 3 wins, then had a blip with losses to Delhi (Golden Raid) and Patna, before bouncing back with 2 solid wins.
  • Their success has been built on collective effort — a balanced raiding trio and the league’s best defence.
Aditya Shinde Leads the Raid for Paltan
  • Puneri Paltan use a strategy of starting strong on defence and growing into the game with raiding.
  • Aditya Shinde has been their go-to raider this season, maintaining a raid SR of 50%+ in all games except the last.
  • He has the 2nd most Do-or-Die raid points in the league this season.
  • He is also among the best hand-touch specialists, joint 2nd in points from that skill.
  • With Aslam and Pankaj as support raiders, Pune’s attack has become as potent as their defence.

Head-to-Head in PKL

  • Overall: Matches – 24 | U Mumba – 11 | Puneri Paltan – 10 | Tied – 3
  • Since PKL 9: Matches – 6 | U Mumba – 2 | Puneri Paltan – 3 | Tied – 1
  • A fierce, evenly-matched rivalry — U Mumba edge overall H2H, while Paltan lead in recent meetings.

Key Player Battles

U Mumba Raiders vs Puneri Paltan Defenders

  • Ajit Chouhan 4–2 Abinesh Nadarajan
  • Ajit Chouhan 3–1 Gaurav Khatri
  • Ajit Chouhan 7–3 Gurdeep
  • A. Zafardanesh 0–5 Abinesh Nadarajan

Puneri Paltan Raiders vs U Mumba Defenders

  • Pankaj Mohite 12–9 Sunil Kumar
  • Pankaj Mohite 4–1 Parvesh Bhainswal
  • Pankaj Mohite 4–3 Rinku
  • Aslam Inamdar 5–2 Sunil Kumar
  • Aslam Inamdar 2–4 Parvesh Bhainswal
  • Aslam Inamdar 8–2 Rinku

What to Expect

  • This Maharashtra Derby promises to be a defensive masterclass, with the league’s two best tackling units on display.
  • If Ajit Chouhan returns fully fit, his duel with Gaurav Khatri could decide the match.
  • Expect a low-scoring, high-intensity tactical battle between two evenly matched title contenders.

Match Details

  • Match: U Mumba vs Puneri Paltan – Match 40, PKL Season 12
  • Date: Thursday, 18th September 2025
  • Time: 9:00 PM IST
  • 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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