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UP Yoddha begin their Pro Kabaddi 2021 campaign against the defending champions Bengal Warriors on the opening day. The Yoddhas have been fairly consistent since joining the Pro Kabaddi League, having qualified for the playoffs in each of their three seasons.
In PKL Season 7, they had banked on their stellar corner duo of skipper Nitesh Kumar and Sumit Sangwan. The two had scored more than 150 tackle points together in a commanding display throughout the season.
At the PKL Auction 2021, the UP franchise made a huge splash, managing to bag the services of 'Dubki King' Pardeep Narwal for a mammoth cost of ₹1.65 crore. Along with Pardeep Narwal, they also got back Shrikant Jadhav (₹72 lakh) in the auction to form a strong raiding partnership. We can expect fireworks on the mat when these two lethal raiders take on the opposition defenders in Pro Kabaddi 2021.
In addition to the two defenders Sumit and Nitesh, UP also retained promising youngster Surender Gill and defender Ashu Singh for PKL Season 8. They have picked up a lot of young players in the draft and auction to build a youthful side with a lot of promise.
UP Yoddha's schedule for Pro Kabaddi 2021
Head coach Jasveer Singh will hope the team can continue its consistent and effective play going into Pro Kabaddi 2021. With the fiery Pardeep Narwal in their ranks and also due to their strong and stable defense, UP Yoddha are early contenders for the title.
The two 'jodis' of Nitesh Kumar - Sumit Sangwan and Pardeep Narwal - Shrikant Jadhav will be their pillars in defense and raiding respectively. Given the hype around Pardeep Narwal's mammoth auction price, he is surely expected to deliver the goods for the UP side this time around.
On that note, here's a look at UP Yoddha's schedule for the first half of PKL8:
December 22: Bengal Warriors vs. UP Yoddha, 9:30 PM IST
December 25: Patna Pirates vs. UP Yoddha, 7:30 PM IST
December 27: UP Yoddha vs. Jaipur Pink Panthers, 7:30 PM IST
December 29: UP Yoddha vs. Gujarat Giants, 8:30 PM IST
January 1: U Mumba vs. UP Yoddha, 7:30 PM IST
January 4: UP Yoddha vs. Tamil Thalaivas, 8:30 PM IST
January 8: UP Yoddha vs. Dabang Delhi K.C., 7:30 PM IST
January 9: Bengaluru Bulls vs. UP Yoddha, 8:30 PM IST
January 12: Haryana Steelers vs. UP Yoddha, 7:30 PM IST
January 15: UP Yoddha vs. Telugu Titans, 8:30 PM IST
January 17: Puneri Paltan vs. U Mumba, 8:30 PM IST
