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UP Yoddhas have been the most consistent side out of the four new teams that joined the Pro Kabaddi League in 2017. The Uttar Pradesh-based franchise has qualified for the playoffs in each of the five seasons that it has played in. However, the Yoddhas have never made it to the final.
One of the main reasons behind the UP Yoddhas' success in the PKL is that they have shown a lot of faith in their players. They have rarely made mass releases, and they have some excellent scouts in their staff, who manage to find the best young talents in the country.
UP Yoddhas will kick off their PKL 2023 campaign against U Mumba on December 2. Before their opening game of the new season, here's a look at their all-time seven in Pro Kabaddi history.
Center - Pardeep Narwal
UP Yoddhas captain Pardeep Narwal will be the lead raider of this team. The Yoddhas signed Narwal ahead of the eighth season of the Pro Kabaddi League. He has played two seasons for the Uttar Pradesh-based franchise, scoring 408 points.
Narwal looked a little slow in Season 8, but he got back to form in the ninth season, earning 220 raid points in 22 matches at an average of 10. He registered 11 Super 10s and executed nine super raids in PKL 9.
Left Cover - Shubham Kumar
The majority of UP Yoddhas' defense has been settled for the last three seasons, but the left cover defender has changed multiple times. Shubham Kumar has been the best performer for the Yoddhas at this position in the PKL.
He was with the Yoddhas during the eighth and ninth editions of the league, earning 38 points for the franchise. During the eighth season, Kumar executed four super tackles.
Right Cover - Ashu Singh
Ashu Singh has been a reliable right cover defender for the UP Yoddhas since 2019. He joined the team in Season 7 and impressed straightaway by scoring 42 points in 23 matches. His performance improved in Season 8, where he scored 53 points. In the last PKL season, Singh earned 49 points.
Notably, Singh has recorded four High 5s and executed 15 super tackles for the Yoddhas. He will continue to represent the Uttar Pradesh-based franchise in PKL 10.
Left In - Rishank Devadiga
Rishank Devadiga was the lead raider of the UP Yoddhas in their debut season. The former U Mumba star scored 170 points in 21 matches of Season 5 for the Yoddhas. His performances declined a bit in the next two editions, but he still finished with more than 75 points each season and helped the Yoddhas qualify for the playoffs.
Devadiga's injury issues negatively impacted his performance on the mat. He works as a commentator for PKL now.
Right In - Surender Gill
Surender Gill is one of the many new talents unearthed by the Yoddhas in the PKL. He made his debut in Season 7, where he earned 80 points in 18 matches. The tall raider peaked in Season 8, earning 198 points in 23 games.
Injury problems impacted his tally in Season 9, where he finished with 145 points in 14 matches. Gill will continue to don the UP Yoddhas jersey in PKL 10.
Left Corner - Sumit Sangwan
Sumit Sangwan is another new player, who made his PKL debut for the Yoddhas in Season 7 and continues to be a part of the side even now. Sangwan plays in the left corner position. In his debut season itself, he earned 80 points in 22 matches and finished second on the defenders' leaderboard.
Sumit has consistently remained in the top 12 of the Most Tackle Points list after that. It will be interesting to see if he can continue in the same vein in PKL 10.
Right Corner - Nitesh Kumar
Nitesh Kumar has been a part of the UP Yoddhas squad in all the seasons they have played. The right corner defender made history in Season 6, when he scored 100 tackle points and won the Best Defender award.
Kumar even had a short stint as the Yoddhas' skipper. Overall, he has scored 313 tackle points, including 20 High 5s and 23 super tackles, for the Yoddhas.
UP Yoddhas all-time PKL 7
Pardeep Narwal (Center), Shubham Kumar (Left Cover), Ashu Singh (Right Cover), Rishank Devadiga (Left In), Surender Gill (Right In), Sumit Sangwan (Left Corner) and Nitesh Kumar (Right Corner).
