UP Yoddhas face Tamil Thalaivas in Match 84 of PKL 12 at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium, Delhi. The resurgent Yoddhas (10th position, 5 wins from 14 matches) seek to build momentum after breaking a five-match losing streak against Tamil Thalaivas (6th position, 7 wins from 14 matches), who arrive desperate to strengthen playoff credentials following a disappointing defeat to Puneri Paltan.

Probable Starting 7

UP Yoddhas

Right Corner – Hitesh

Right In – Bhavani Rajput

Right Cover – Ashu Singh

Centre – Guman Singh

Left Cover – Mahender Singh

Left In – Gagan Gowda

Left Corner – Sumit (C)

Tamil Thalaivas

Right Corner – Arulnanthababu

Right In – Arjun Deshwal (C)

Right Cover – Ronak

Centre – Himanshu

Left Cover – Aashish

Left In – Rohit Beniwal

Left Corner – Nitesh Kumar

Headlines

➢ UP Yoddhas raiding trio facing Tamil Thalaivas' challenge

➢ Arjun Deshwal key to Thalaivas' victory

➢ Guman Singh in form – Bhavani Rajput providing support

➢ Gagan Gowda out of form in last two matches

➢ Nitesh Kumar – best defender of league so far

➢ Thalaivas defence – led by Nitesh, Ronak with assists, key to wins

➢ Yoddhas' defence need to continue good performance

➢ Ashu Singh and Hitesh supporting Sumit well

Top Stories of the Match

UP Yoddhas Raiding Trio Facing Raid Machine Arjun Deshwal

Raid machine Arjun Deshwal has been the lone raider for Thalaivas, having contributed 59% of the total raid points scored. Their next best raider hasn't even crossed the 30-point mark in PKL 12.

Tamil Thalaivas raiders in PKL 12:

Arjun Deshwal: 159 raid points (57% contribution)

Narender Kandola: 26 raid points (46% contribution)

Rohit Beniwal: 23 raid points (43% contribution)

Thalaivas have been too dependent on Arjun for raiding, with him having a bad day resulting in their raiding unit having a bad day.

Tamil Thalaivas raiding unit in PKL 12 (last 5 matches):

vs Puneri Paltan: 12 Thalaivas raid points (6 Arjun, 6 other raiders)

vs Patna Pirates: 37 Thalaivas raid points (26 Arjun, 11 other raiders)

vs Bengaluru Bulls: 17 Thalaivas raid points (9 Arjun, 8 other raiders)

vs Haryana Steelers: 25 Thalaivas raid points (22 Arjun, 3 other raiders)

vs U Mumba: 14 Thalaivas raid points (2 Arjun, 12 other raiders)

Arjun has been playing well in the second half of games with a slightly better raid strike rate in PKL 12.

Arjun Deshwal in PKL 12 (half-wise):

1st half vs 2nd half:

76 raid points vs 83 raid points

55% raid SR% vs 60% raid SR%

0 super raids vs 2 super raids

3 multi-point raids vs 12 multi-point raids

Arjun's top skill has been hand touch points, with which he's scored most of his raid points.

Arjun Deshwal in PKL 12 (top skills):

Hand touch: 54 skill points

Bonus points: 34 skill points

Back kick: 9 skill points

Arjun has scored most of his points when 6-7 defenders are on the mat, and his strike rate has been 40+ in each DIP situation.

Arjun Deshwal in PKL 12 (DIP-wise):

6-7 defenders: 96 raid points at 66% SR

4-5 defenders: 31 raid points at 42% SR

2-3 defenders: 28 raid points at 52% SR

Arjun needs just 8 points to surpass Pawan Sehrawat to score the third-most raid points in PKL history.

Most raid points in PKL:

Pardeep Narwal: 1801 raid points

Maninder Singh: 1568 raid points

Pawan Sehrawat: 1340 raid points

Arjun Deshwal: 1333 raid points

On the other hand, UP Yoddhas are raiding like a unit, with each of their three raiders scoring more than 50 raid points in PKL 12.

UP Yoddhas raiders in PKL 12:

Gagan Gowda: 116 raid points at 71% SR (6 Super 10s)

Bhavani Rajput: 70 raid points at 38% SR (2 Super 10s)

Guman Singh: 66 raid points at 54% SR (2 Super 10s)

In the last five matches, they've been performing well, scoring 20 or more raid points in three matches at really good strike rates.

UP Yoddhas raiding unit in PKL 12 (last 5 matches):

vs U Mumba: 44 raids, 18 raid points at 41% SR

vs Gujarat Giants: 44 raids, 24 raid points at 55% SR

vs Patna Pirates: 43 raids, 18 raid points at 42% SR

vs Telugu Titans: 42 raids, 25 raid points at 60% SR

vs Dabang Delhi: 41 raids, 20 raid points at 49% SR

Their trio of Gagan, Bhavani and Guman has been performing well in the last five matches.

UP Yoddhas raiding trio in PKL 12 (last 5 matches):

Guman Singh: 38 raid points at 67% SR (2 Super 10s)

Bhavani Rajput: 30 raid points at 36% SR (1 Super 10)

Gagan Gowda: 28 raid points at 71% SR (2 Super 10s)

It's been Guman Singh who's been performing well, scoring back-to-back Super 10s with his performance against U Mumba being the best this season. After having a rather slow start to his PKL 12 season, Guman has improved dramatically in the last six matches.

Guman Singh in PKL 12:

First 6 matches vs last 6 matches:

24 raid points vs 42 raid points

4.0 average raid points vs 7.0 average raid points

46% raid SR% vs 59% raid SR%

0 Super 10s vs 2 Super 10s

Bhavani Rajput has also improved considerably, with his form changing in the last few matches.

Bhavani Rajput in PKL 12:

First 7 matches vs last 7 matches:

22 raid points vs 48 raid points

3.1 average raid points vs 6.9 average raid points

32% raid SR% vs 41% raid SR%

0 Super 10s vs 2 Super 10s

This season, Guman has performed well in the first half of games with a really good strike rate of 63%.

Guman Singh in PKL 12 (half-wise):

1st half: 32 raid points at 63% SR

2nd half: 34 raid points at 47% SR

Against Tamil Thalaivas' formidable defensive unit led by Nitesh Kumar, the Yoddhas' raiding trio faces its sternest test since the U Mumba victory.

Yoddhas Defenders Stepping Up

UP Yoddhas' defence stepped up in the previous match against U Mumba, and this has been their joint-best performance in PKL 12.

UP Yoddhas defence (best performances):

vs U Mumba: 20 tackles, 15 tackle points at 75% SR

vs Tamil Thalaivas: 21 tackles, 15 tackle points at 71% SR

vs Patna Pirates: 26 tackles, 13 tackle points at 50% SR

vs Bengal Warriorz: 29 tackles, 13 tackle points at 45% SR

Their defence has been led by skipper Sumit, who's received support from other teammates.

Most tackle points for UP Yoddhas in PKL 12:

Sumit: 40 tackle points at 53% SR (3 High 5s)

Hitesh: 32 tackle points at 40% SR (1 High 5)

Ashu Singh: 30 tackle points at 52% SR (1 High 5)

Ashu and Hitesh are playing well in the last five matches and are supporting Sumit effectively in defence. Hitesh has scored most of the points with a good tackle strike rate, whilst Ashu has assisted well in executing the tackles.

Hitesh and Ashu Singh in PKL 12 (last 5 matches):

Hitesh vs Ashu Singh:

26 tackles vs 21 tackles

14 tackle points vs 7 tackle points

54% tackle SR% vs 33% tackle SR%

8 assists vs 15 assists

All three defenders are skilful, with Hitesh's top skill being ankle hold and block, whilst Sumit's top skill is ankle hold and Ashu's top skill is block. Ashu and Hitesh can be effective against Arjun Deshwal, who's been dismissed 23 times via ankle hold in PKL 12.

UP Yoddhas defending trio in PKL 12 (top skills):

Sumit: Ankle hold (10 skill points)

Hitesh: Ankle hold (9 skill points), Block (9 skill points)

Ashu Singh: Block (11 skill points)

With the next match being against Tamil Thalaivas, this trio has done well against them since PKL 10. In the reverse fixture, Sumit scored a High 5 with five tackle points to his name, whilst Ashu Singh scored four tackle points.

UP Yoddhas defenders vs Tamil Thalaivas (since PKL 10):

Sumit: 5 matches, 14 tackle points (2.8 average, 52% SR, 1 High 5)

Ashu Singh: 4 matches, 14 tackle points (3.5 average, 74% SR, 1 High 5)

Hitesh: 5 matches, 13 tackle points (2.6 average, 50% SR, 1 High 5)

Nitesh Kumar – Best Defender of League So Far

Nitesh Kumar now has the most tackle points in the league this season. He became the first player to reach 50 tackle points this season and averages about four tackle points per match at a good tackle strike rate.

Most tackle points in PKL 12:

Nitesh Kumar: 14 matches, 53 tackle points (3.8 average, 56% SR)

Jaideep: 14 matches, 48 tackle points (3.4 average, 62% SR)

Deepak Sankar: 13 matches, 45 tackle points (3.5 average, 59% SR)

He's scored four High 5s and has a tackle strike rate of almost 70% in the last seven matches. Irrespective of results, his performance has been constant for the Thalaivas' defence.

Nitesh Kumar defence in PKL 12:

Wins vs losses:

40 tackles vs 54 tackles

23 tackle points vs 30 tackle points

3.8 average tackle points vs 3.7 average tackle points

58% tackle SR% vs 56% tackle SR%

2 High 5s vs 3 High 5s

Nitesh Kumar is consistent across DIP situations and has a tackle strike rate greater than 50% in all three DIP situations in PKL 12.

Nitesh Kumar defence (DIP-wise) in PKL 12:

6-7 DIP: 29 tackle points at 54% SR

4-5 DIP: 20 tackle points at 62% SR

2-3 DIP: 4 tackle points at 57% SR

He has a tackle strike rate greater than 50% in each of the four intervals, and is especially amazing in the first half.

Nitesh Kumar (interval-wise) in PKL 12:

1-10 mins: 24 tackles, 13 tackle points at 54% SR

11-20 mins: 21 tackles, 14 tackle points at 67% SR

21-30 mins: 23 tackles, 13 tackle points at 57% SR

31-40 mins: 26 tackles, 13 tackle points at 50% SR

The Thalaivas have the defender with the most tackle points and second-most assists in the league in PKL 12. Ronak has 57 assists this season, which is the second-highest in the entire league.

Most assists in PKL 12:

Satyappa Matti: 60 assists

Ronak: 57 assists

Sandeep: 57 assists

Against UP Yoddhas' balanced raiding attack, Nitesh Kumar and the Thalaivas' defensive unit face a significantly different challenge from the one-man shows they've previously encountered.

Team Stories

UP Yoddhas – PKL 12 So Far

Recent Results:

M#82 vs U Mumba – Won 40–24

M#74 vs Gujarat Giants – Lost 39–41

M#68 vs Patna Pirates – Lost 28–36

M#65 vs Telugu Titans – Lost 35–40

M#61 vs Dabang Delhi – Lost 43–26

UP Yoddhas have broken their losing streak of five consecutive matches with a comprehensive win against U Mumba. They're in 10th position, and will need more such victories to make the playoffs.

In their last match, it was Guman Singh (Super 10) and Bhavani Rajput with points in raiding. Gagan Gowda did not perform well, unlike most of the season where he's been their most consistent raider.

Sumit started the season leading from the front and was in excellent form, but has dropped in form recently. However, Ashu Singh has been performing well, whilst Hitesh and Mahender did well in the last match.

The Yoddhas will need to maintain this performance level to qualify for playoffs. Their balanced approach – with three raiders capable of Super 10s and a defence finding form – provides the foundation for a late-season push.

Tamil Thalaivas – PKL 12 So Far

Recent Results:

M#78 vs Puneri Paltan – Lost 23–36

M#69 vs Patna Pirates – Won 56–37

M#66 vs Bengaluru Bulls – Lost 29–33

M#62 vs Haryana Steelers – Won 45–33

M#58 vs U Mumba – Lost 24–42

Tamil Thalaivas lost against Puneri Paltan in their last match and have made their plight for the playoffs more difficult. The defeat highlighted their over-reliance on Arjun Deshwal, who managed just six raid points whilst the supporting cast failed to compensate.

Arjun Deshwal remains their key raider with Narender Kandola providing support. However, the lack of consistent contributions from other raiders has become a critical vulnerability that opponents are increasingly exploiting.

The Thalaivas' defence has been solid and now averages the second-most tackle points per game in the league. Nitesh Kumar has been one of the best defenders in the league, maintaining remarkable consistency regardless of team results.

They now sit in sixth place and will be looking to qualify with a string of wins starting against UP Yoddhas. The combination of Nitesh Kumar's defensive excellence and Arjun Deshwal's raiding prowess provides the foundation, but supporting players must contribute more meaningfully.

Head-to-Head in PKL

Overall: Matches – 18 | UP Yoddhas – 7 | Tamil Thalaivas – 8 | Tied – 3

Tamil Thalaivas maintain slight historical superiority with eight wins to UP Yoddhas' seven, though three encounters have ended in ties. However, UP Yoddhas won the reverse fixture comprehensively in Match 46 of PKL 12.

Recent Form (Last 5 meetings):

M#46 PKL 12: Yoddhas won 39–22

M#77 PKL 11: Thalaivas won 26–40

M#69 PKL 11: Yoddhas won 40–24

M#108 PKL 10: Thalaivas won 25–32

M#65 PKL 10: Thalaivas won 27–46

The 17-point victory for UP Yoddhas earlier this season demonstrated their capability against the Thalaivas. Their defensive trio of Sumit (High 5), Ashu Singh (4 tackle points) and Hitesh combined superbly whilst the raiding unit functioned cohesively.

Key Player Battles

Tamil Thalaivas' Raiders vs UP Yoddhas' Defenders

Arjun Deshwal 18–9 Sumit

Arjun Deshwal 5–7 Hitesh

Arjun Deshwal 24–11 Ashu Singh

Arjun Deshwal 9–4 Mahender Singh

Narender Kandola 9–6 Sumit

UP Yoddhas' Raiders vs Tamil Thalaivas' Defenders

Gagan Gowda 6–4 Nitesh Kumar

Bhavani Rajput 3–5 Nitesh Kumar

Bhavani Rajput 2–0 Arulnanthababu

What to Expect

This encounter presents contrasting tactical approaches – UP Yoddhas' balanced three-pronged raiding attack against Tamil Thalaivas' Arjun Deshwal-centric strategy. The Yoddhas arrive with renewed confidence from breaking their five-match losing streak, whilst the Thalaivas seek to bounce back from disappointing defeat to Puneri Paltan.

The critical matchup centres on Arjun Deshwal versus the Yoddhas' defensive trio. Arjun dominates most head-to-head battles (18-9 vs Sumit, 24-11 vs Ashu Singh, 9-4 vs Mahender Singh), but Hitesh holds a positive 7-5 record. His ankle hold expertise – combined with Ashu Singh's blocking skills – could prove crucial since Arjun has been dismissed 23 times via ankle hold in PKL 12.

Tamil Thalaivas' over-reliance on Arjun Deshwal (57% of total raid points) presents both strength and vulnerability. If the Yoddhas' defence can contain him below his 11.4 average, the Thalaivas lack sufficient supporting raiders to compensate. Their last five matches demonstrate this dependency starkly.

Conversely, UP Yoddhas' raiding balance – Gagan Gowda (116 points at 71%), Bhavani Rajput (70 points) and Guman Singh (66 points) – provides multiple avenues of attack. Against the league's best defender Nitesh Kumar (53 tackle points at 56% strike rate), this depth could prove decisive.

The recent form trajectory favours UP Yoddhas. Their 75% tackle strike rate against U Mumba showcased defensive potential, whilst the raiding trio's improvement – particularly Guman Singh's back-to-back Super 10s and Bhavani Rajput's resurgence – suggests growing momentum.

Historical head-to-head records are evenly balanced (8-7 for Thalaivas), but UP Yoddhas' comprehensive 17-point victory in the reverse fixture this season demonstrated their superiority when all units function cohesively. That match saw identical 15 tackle points at 71% strike rate – precisely matching their recent U Mumba performance.

Tamil Thalaivas' second-best average tackle points per game provides defensive solidity, but their raiding limitations remain concerning. Unless supporting raiders like Narender Kandola and Rohit Beniwal contribute meaningfully alongside Arjun Deshwal, the Thalaivas face significant difficulty.

Expect UP Yoddhas to extend their winning momentum, securing victory through superior team balance and defensive resilience. The battle between Nitesh Kumar and the Yoddhas' raiding trio will provide compelling theatre, but UP's collective strength should overcome Tamil Thalaivas' individual brilliance, further strengthening the Yoddhas' late-season playoff push whilst leaving the Thalaivas' qualification hopes increasingly precarious.

Match Details

  • Match: UP Yoddhas vs Tamil Thalaivas – Match 84, PKL Season 12
  • Date: Tuesday, 14th October 2025
  • Time: 9:00 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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