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UP Yoddhas have been the most consistent team among the newer entrants in the Pro Kabaddi League. The Uttar Pradesh-based franchise joined the PKL in 2017 along with the Gujarat Giants, Haryana Steelers, and Tamil Thalaivas.
The Yoddhas are the only franchise to have qualified from the first stage in all the PKL seasons they have played. However, quite surprisingly, they have never played a Pro Kabaddi League final.
The Yoddhas have always suffered a loss in the playoff games, but their PKL 10 squad has the calibre to end the franchise's championship drought.
UP Yoddhas will start their Pro Kabaddi 2023 campaign against U Mumba on December 2. Before they take the mat for the first time, here's a look at three reasons why the Uttar Pradesh-based franchise can win the league this season.
#1 UP Yoddhas probably have the best raiding trio in Pro Kabaddi 2023
Raiders play a big role in any team's success in the Pro Kabaddi League. A majority of the teams who won the PKL title did so because of their fiery raiding unit. The champion teams mostly had one or two top-quality raiders in their squad, but UP Yoddhas have assembled a squad featuring three fantastic raiders.
They retained Pardeep Narwal and Surender Gill before the PKL 2023 Auction. To make the raiding unit more dangerous, the Yoddhas signed former Dabang Delhi KC all-rounder Vijay Malik.
Narwal is the all-time highest-scorer in PKL history, while Gill has been among the top scorers in the last few seasons. Malik played the secondary raider's role to perfection for Delhi, even helping them win the trophy in season eight. If this trio remains injury-free and fires on all cylinders, the Yoddhas will take the trophy home.
#2 Tried and tested corner pair
UP Yoddhas are one of the few teams in PKL 10 who will not field a new corner combination. The Yoddhas retained their corner defenders, Nitesh Kumar and Sumit Sangwan, before the PKL 2023 Auction.
Kumar is the only defender in the league's history to touch the 100 tackle points mark in a single edition. Meanwhile, his corner partner Sumit has earned 193 tackle points, registering 14 High 5s in 67 matches. This tried and tested corner combination will be the biggest strength of UP Yoddhas' defense in PKL 10.
#3 Reliable cover defenders
UP Yoddhas also have a reliable cover duo for PKL 10. They have continued to show faith in Ashu Singh and Gurdeep Sangwan, who played together last season as well. Singh plays in the right cover position, while all-rounder Gurdeep takes the left cover spot.
In season nine, Singh earned 49 points for the Yoddhas. Meanwhile, Gurdeep ended the season with 36 points. If the duo improves its performance slightly in PKL 10, the Yoddhas will be firm favorites to win the championship.
With a fiery raiding trio and a settled defense quartet, the Yoddhas seem to be the strongest team on paper. They also have some fine backup options in the form of Harendra Kumar, Nitin Panwar, Anil Kumar, and Gulveer Singh.
