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VIVO Pro Kabaddi is about to commence from 20th July 2019. The opening match will witness Telugu Titans take on U Mumba in Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad.
UP Yoddha was one out of four teams which made their debut back in Season 5. UP Yoddha qualified for the playoffs in both fifth and sixth edition but haven't won a title yet.
In Season 6, UP Yoddha had a slow start in the first half of the tournament after the injury to their captain Rishank Devadiga. The team was about to lose their chance of qualifying into the playoffs with an unsettled defense as well.
However, the raiding brilliance displayed by Shrikant Jadhav and Prashant Kumar Rai ensured that the team stayed on contention. Moreover, Nitesh Kumar scored an outstanding 100 tackle points in just 25 matches and marked his way to the record-highest tackle points in a single season.
UP Yoddha ended their campaign with a loss to Gujarat Fortune Giants in the Qualifier 2 (38-31).
The team management retained Nitesh Kumar, Sachin Kumar, Amit, Azad Singh (NYP), Aashish Nagar (NYP), and Akram Shaikh (NYP) ahead of the season 7 auction.
With Jasveer Singh as their head coach, UP Yoddha signed 19 players into their squad for the upcoming season.
As the tournament is about to commence soon, here are the three reasons why UP Yoddha could win the title in Season 7.
#1 The raiding trio of Shrikant Jadhav, Monu Goyat, and Rishank Devadiga
UP Yoddha spent an enormous amount of 93 lakhs to purchase the talented raider in Monu Goyat. He uses the necessary skills in his offense while executing a variety of raiding moves with a calculative mindset. He has 410 raid points in 59 matches at an average of 6.95 raid points overall.
Shrikant Jadhav will assist him as in the offense for UP Yoddha. He is brilliant with his running hand touches and bonus taking skill. Started his career as a do or die raider but now he is a match-winner on his own. Shrikant scored 141 raid points for UP Yoddha in 25 matches at an average of 5.64 raid points in the sixth season.
Rishank Devadiga captained UP Yoddha last year in season 6. Despite struggling with his form and having injury issues, Rishank managed to lead his team into the playoffs and stepped up to the occasion when the team required him the most. He has an overall stats of 549 raid points in 103 matches at an average of 5.33 raid points.
The raiding trio of UP Yoddha is the most exciting in comparison to the other teams. These three raiders are match-winners and can take away the game in a flash.
Even if a player among these three fails to perform for a day, UP Yoddha can still be without pressure as they have a balance in their raiding.
It could very well become the reason of UP Yoddha's title-winning chances in Pro Kabaddi 2019.
#2 The centurion of tackle points, Nitesh Kumar
The find for UP Yoddha in Pro Kabaddi, Nitesh Kumar made his debut from the Future Kabaddi Heroes (FKH) program in Season 5. This young defender from Services' board stole the limelight as the presence of him in the defence single-handedly took UP Yoddha to the playoffs last year.
After having a decent debut in season 5, Nitesh led the defence on his own while Jeeva Kumar was dealing with injury concerns in season 6. He tackled big match raiders namely Pardeep Narwal, Rahul Chaudhari, and Siddharth Desai on his own.
Whether it be an ankle hold or a frontal block, Nitesh perfected every defensive move with precision. His masterclass in the defence made him mature as a player. He went on to score a century of tackle points in just 25 matches at an average of 4 tackle points.
Nitesh Kumar now holds the record of having the most tackle points by any defender in a single edition of Pro Kabaddi. If this season he continues his form of last year and gives consistent performances to the team, UP Yoddha could be title favorites in the upcoming season.
#3 Capable all-rounders and a balanced starting seven
UP Yoddha has decent all-rounders in their squad for Season 7. They signed Mohsen Maghsoudlu at 21 lakhs in the auction. Hailing from Iran, Mohsen is a do or die specialist in the offence. He can score touchpoints as well as save the team in all-out situations. He can also execute thigh holds and assists as a right cover defender.
Narender is a defensive all-rounder who joined UP Yoddha last season. He executed some brilliant blocks and dashes from the right cover position. The team management will yet again expect him to perform well as he scored 42 tackle points in 25 matches in his debut season.
Sachin Kumar from Uttar Pradesh is also a defensive all-rounder who is well known for his diving ankle hold from the left corner position. He supported Nitesh Kumar in the defense and scored crucial tackle points for the team last year. He can also raid at any given moment if required. Sachin scored 43 tackle points in 25 matches at an average of 1.72 tackle points.
Akram Shaikh and Gurvinder are offensive all-rounders who can use their height to score do or die raid points for the team. They can come in as substitutions if the team management decides to have them play.
UP Yoddha's starting seven looks balanced on paper as one of the consistent sides heading into Season 7. They have match-winning potential playing seven into their line up with a star-studded offense along with balanced defense.
If UP Yoddha manages to play decently in their league stage matches and remain injury-free throughout the tournament, they can win their maiden title in the upcoming season of Pro Kabaddi.
