Chennai, September 28: Riding high on back-to-back wins in Jaipur, the UP Yoddhas will now set their sights on the Gujarat Giants as they commence their Chennai leg at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium on September 29, with action kicking off at 8:00 pm IST in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL).
The Yoddhas capped off their Jaipur stint in dramatic fashion with a nerve-wracking 36-36 regulation draw before edging out Bengaluru Bulls 6-5 in the tie-breaker. That result showed their composure under pressure, highlighting traits of a team that has found its rhythm at the right time. With momentum now firmly on their side, the Yoddhas will look to stitch together a third straight victory and build on their upward march in the standings, being placed seventh in the standings now.
Bhavani Rajput emerged as the standout performer in the previous outing with a 10-point haul, while Gagan Gowda continued to chip in consistently, taking his season tally to 82 raid points from eight appearances. The duo, along with the impactful presence of Guman Singh and the promise of youngster Shivam Choudhary, ensures that the Yoddhas boast multiple threats in their offensive unit.
Defensively, skipper Sumit Sangwan and vice-captain Ashu Singh will have to be at the top of their game again. Backed by the solidity of Mahender Singh and Hitesh, the Yoddhas’ backline has begun to click cohesively, re-establishing itself as one of the most disciplined and effective defensive groups in the competition.
By the numbers, the Yoddhas registered a 37.42% raid success rate this season, including 20.88 raid points on average per match. Their defensive sharpness was even more telling; with a 40.1% tackle success rate and 9.63 successful tackles per match, figures that stood out in a tightly-contested clash. These metrics show that the team is rediscovering its balance in both attack and defence.
Speaking ahead of the Chennai leg, assistant coach Upendra Malik touched on the need to keep building on recent success, saying, “The boys showed great fight and composure in Jaipur towards the end, and that spirit has to be carried forward. Gujarat are always a skilful team, but if we continue playing as one unit, we can definitely make a strong start here in Chennai.”
The Gujarat Giants, on the other hand, are placed at the bottom of the standings and will be eager to seize the initiative and shake up their season positively. However, with the Yoddhas finding back their balance and form, this clash presents UP a golden opportunity to further consolidate their resurgence and make an early mark in the Chennai leg of the tournament.
