UP Yoddhas PKL 12 squad – All you need to know; Download Pro Kabaddi League 2025 schedule PDF
The Pro Kabaddi League, now in its 12th season, will return to the four-city caravan model with a brand new structure and several rule changes. PKL 12 begins on August 29 at the Vishwanadh Sports Club in Visakhapatnam.
Since making their PKL debut in 2017, the UP Yoddhas have been one of the most consistent teams in the league, having qualified for the Playoffs in every season with Season 10 being the only exception.
Under head coach Jasveer Singh, the Yoddhas were one of the standout teams in PKL Season 11 after finishing third in the league phase with 79 points, which included 13 wins in 22 games. The Yoddhas later defeated two-time PKL champions Jaipur Pink Panthers 46-18 in Eliminator 1, before they went down to Haryana Steelers 25-28 in the semi-final.
UP Yoddhas Squad for PKL 2025
Guman Singh, Dong Geon Lee, Pranay Rane, Bhavani Rajput, Surender Gill, Gagan Gowda, Shivam Choudhary, Keshav Kumar, Jatin Singh, Mohammadreza Kaboudrahangi, Mahender Singh, Ronak Nain, Sumit Sangwan (c), Ashu Singh (vc), Sahul Kumar, Hitesh Kadiyan, Jayesh Mahajan, Gangaram, Sachin Manipal.
SQUAD ANALYSIS
Having retained most of their core squad before the Pro Kabaddi Season 12 Player Auction, the Yoddhas weren’t the busiest at the auction. Their total spend was INR 4.970 crore to strengthen their squad. With that in mind, let’s examine the strengths and weaknesses of the Yoddhas ahead of Pro Kabaddi Season 12.
Strength: After emerging as one of the most impressive teams in PKL Season 11, the Yoddhas have managed to retain most of their players from the last campaign. The likes of raiders Bhavani Rajput, Gagan Raju Gowda, Surender Gill, Keshav Kumar, Shivam Chaudhary, right corner Hitesh, left corner Sumit Sangwan, right cover Ashu Singh and right corner Sahul Kumar will once again don the Yoddhas’ jersey in the upcoming edition of PKL. The UP Yoddhas have also retained the services of their head coach, Jasveer Singh, as a core member, who has guided the team to five playoffs in six seasons.
Furthermore, the Yoddhas used their FBM card to retain left cover Mahender Singh for INR 20 lacs for one season. The UP-based team also utilised their FBM option to re-sign their Iranian left corner Mohammadreza Kaboudrahangi to bolster their defence.
Weakness: One of the biggest weaknesses that UP Yoddhas may have to deal with is the lack of quality all-rounders in their squad. Most of the teams that have succeeded in winning the PKL title generally tend to feature at least one, if not more quality all-rounders in their team.
While the Yoddhas have Mahender Singh in the left cover position and Ashu Singh in the right cover position, their backups don’t have enough experience in the PKL, which could derail their campaign if one of them is injured, or not available for any other reason. As a result, the likes of Sachin Manipal, Gangaram and Ronak will need to step up if given an opportunity.
One of the biggest threats to UP Yoddhas’ PKL Season 12 campaign is the risk of injuries, particularly to their raiders. While the likes of Guman Singh, Bhavani Rajput and Surender Gill can dismantle any opposition on their day, if any of these players succumb to any injury, it could disrupt the team’s balance.
While Surender Gill has plenty of experience in PKL, his performances have dipped over the last few seasons, which could be an area of concern for the Yoddhas.
DOWNLOAD FULL SCHEDULE FOR FREE
Download the PDF of UP Yoddhas’ full PKL Season 12 schedule here.
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Published on Aug 31, 2025