The Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 is charging full steam ahead, and as the league phase enters its crucial stretch, the SDAT Multipurpose Indoor Stadium in Chennai is buzzing with anticipation. With playoff spots on the line, every raid, tackle, and point is beginning to feel like it could tip the balance for teams eyeing a place in the final eight. The action on October 5 and 6, 2025, has already delivered a string of nail-biting encounters, standout individual performances, and tantalizing storylines that are keeping fans glued to their screens.
October 5 saw the Telugu Titans and Bengaluru Bulls clinch important victories, each adding a new layer to the unfolding drama of PKL 12. The Titans, riding high on momentum, secured their fourth consecutive win by overcoming the UP Yoddhas 40-35 in a fiercely contested battle. Bharat Hooda shone brightest, notching a Super 10 and reaching two major milestones: his 100th raid point of the season and a career total of 700 raid points in the league. Defender Shubham Shinde was a wall at the back, earning a High Five, while captain Vijay Malik contributed nine points and completed his own 100 raid points for the season. Praful Zaware’s clutch four-point cameo late in the game proved vital in sealing the Titans’ win.
But the Yoddhas didn’t go quietly. Bhavani Rajput delivered a career-best Super 10, racking up an impressive 16 points and keeping his side in the hunt until the final whistle. The defeat, however, added to UP’s woes as they struggle to find consistent form despite boasting a powerful squad on paper.
Later that evening, the Bengaluru Bulls edged past the Tamil Thalaivas in another Chennai thriller, finishing 33-29. Iranian raider Alireza Mirzaian led the charge with a Super 10, while defender Sanjay delivered a High Five and executed a decisive Super Tackle in the dying minutes to snuff out a late Thalaivas rally. The Bulls’ defensive discipline under pressure was on full display, a timely reminder of why they remain one of the league’s most resilient units.
For the Thalaivas, there was a silver lining despite the loss: Arjun Deshwal reached a staggering 1300 PKL points, cementing his status as one of the league’s most prolific scorers. The result, however, leaves the Thalaivas with questions to answer as they seek to regain their early-season spark.
With the dust barely settled from these clashes, attention swiftly turns to the double-header on Monday, October 6—a matchday that could have significant playoff implications. First up, the Jaipur Pink Panthers face Dabang Delhi K.C. at 8:00 PM IST. Dabang Delhi, coached by the experienced Joginder Narwal, are currently perched at the top of the table and hungry to extend their lead. Their experience-driven squad has thrived this season, and a win could all but guarantee a direct route to the playoffs. The probable starting seven for Delhi includes Fazel Atrachali, Naveen, Saurabh Nandal, Ashu Malik, Surjeet Singh, Neeraj Narwal, and Sandeep—an intimidating lineup by any measure.
The Pink Panthers, led by Narender Redhu, have placed their trust in youth this season, hoping that flashes of brilliance from Ronak Singh, Reza Mirbagheri, Aashish Kumar, Nitin Rawal, Nitin Dhankar, Ali Choubtarash, and Vinay Redhu will coalesce into a consistent playoff push. While they have shown moments of promise, inconsistency has plagued their campaign, making this clash against the table-toppers a true litmus test. Historically, the head-to-head between these two sides is tight: out of 25 matches, Jaipur holds a slight edge with 12 wins to Delhi’s 10, and three games ending in a tie. Could this be the night the Pink Panthers roar back into contention?
Following immediately at 9:00 PM IST, the UP Yoddhas will square off against the Patna Pirates. The stakes are sky-high for both teams. The Pirates, three-time PKL champions, find themselves languishing at the bottom of the table, desperately in need of a turnaround to keep their playoff dreams alive. Speculation swirls around the future of their coach, adding another layer of urgency to their campaign. The probable starting seven for Patna includes Maninder Singh, Ayan Lohchab, Sudhakar M, Deepak Singh, Balaji D, Hamid Mirzaeinader, and Ankit Jaglan. Their challenge? To silence critics and reignite the fighting spirit that once made them the league’s most feared side.
The Yoddhas, meanwhile, are also in must-win territory. Despite fielding a talented lineup—Sumit Sangwan, Gagan Gowda, Mahender Singh, Shivam Chaudhary, Ashu Singh, Bhavani Rajput, and Krishan Dhull—they have struggled to string together results. With playoff hopes slipping, two points from this fixture could be the spark that finally ignites their campaign. The historical head-to-head between these two is close, with Patna holding 10 wins to UP’s 7 out of 18 meetings, and one tie. Will the Yoddhas find their rhythm, or will the Pirates reclaim their lost swagger?
Fans won’t miss a second of the action, as both matches will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network and streamed on JioHotstar, starting from 7:30 PM IST. The stakes, the narratives, and the individual battles make this a must-watch evening for kabaddi enthusiasts across the country.
As the league phase approaches its October 23 conclusion, the battle for top defender honors is heating up as well. Nitesh Kumar of Tamil Thalaivas currently leads the tackle points chart in PKL 12 with 46 points from 12 matches, followed by Gaurav Khatri of Puneri Paltan (38 points in 12 matches) and Jaideep Kuldeep Dahiya of Haryana Steelers (37 in 11 matches). Deepak Shankar (Bengaluru Bulls, 34 points in 11 matches) and Sumit Sangwan (UP Yoddhas, 33 in 11 matches) round out the top five. These defenders are not just racking up numbers—they’re often the difference-makers in tight contests, swinging momentum with a single well-timed tackle.
On the historical front, Fazel Atrachali—now with the Bengal Warriors—continues to set the gold standard. With 565 tackle points in 194 matches, he remains the most successful defender in PKL history, a testament to his longevity and skill in the sport.
With every team facing every other in a double round-robin format, and only a handful of matches left before the league phase wraps up, the pressure is mounting. The defending champions, Haryana Steelers, led by Jaideep Dahiya, are still in the hunt, but so are a host of hungry challengers. Every match, every point, and every moment is beginning to matter just a little bit more.
So, as Monday night’s double-header looms, kabaddi fans can expect nothing less than relentless action, dramatic twists, and perhaps a few surprises. With playoff dreams on the line, the Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 is serving up a spectacle that’s impossible to ignore.
