“Was Very Important Win For Up Yoddhas To Stay In Contention For Top-Eight Spot”: Rishank Devadiga
14 Oct 2025 1:54 PM IST14 Oct 2025 1:54 PM IST
“We always used to say that the UP Yoddhas team management should give Guman Singh a chance in the starting seven because he has the ability to win matches, and against U Mumba, he proved exactly that."
“It was a very important win for UP Yoddhas against U Mumba because if they wanted to stay in contention for a top-eight spot, they had to secure this victory at any cost and that’s exactly what they did," Rishank Devadiga said. (Photo by arrangement)
Day 41 of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 witnessed the Haryana Steelers stage a dramatic 39-32 comeback against the Patna Pirates, while the UP Yoddhas registered a dominant 40-24 win over U Mumba to keep their Playoffs ambitions alive. Speaking exclusively on KBD Live, JioStar expert Rishank Devadiga praised Haryana Steelers captain Jaideep Dahiya’s leadership, lauded the UP Yoddhas’ all-round effort led by raider Guman Singh, and highlighted Ayan Lohchab’s exceptional individual form for the Patna Pirates.
Speaking on KBD Live, JioStar expert Rishank Devadiga reflected on UP Yoddhas’ crucial win over U Mumba:
“It was a very important win for UP Yoddhas against U Mumba because if they wanted to stay in contention for a top-eight spot, they had to secure this victory at any cost and that’s exactly what they did. It was a complete team performance that helped them overcome the Season 2 winners. They defended really well, executed their tackles as a unit, and Guman Singh led the charge in the raiding department, finishing the game with 12 points from 20 raids.”
On Guman Singh’s match-winning performance:
“We always used to say that the UP Yoddhas team management should give Guman Singh a chance in the starting seven because he has the ability to win matches, and against U Mumba, he proved exactly that. He consistently earned points for his team. Whether the defense was in a 4-5 or 4-3 combination, it didn’t bother him as he kept troubling their defense and scored in almost every situation. I think the reason UP Yoddhas won this match is because of Guman Singh. He deserves all the credit for this performance.”
On U Mumba’s lacklustre performance:
“I was very disappointed with U Mumba’s performance. I was expecting a good contest between the two sides, but the problems started right from the beginning for the Season 2 champions as they began playing very defensively. The raiding duo of Sandeep Kumar and Ajit Chouhan didn’t perform well, and when the raiders don’t deliver, U Mumba tends to struggle. The defense looked completely scattered, and coach Anil Chaprana exhausted all his substitution options early. By the end, the U Mumba side looked completely clueless, and we didn’t get to see a proper game plan from them against the Yoddhas. We often praise Sunil Kumar’s captaincy, but in this match, there were several shortcomings in his leadership, which prevented him from running the game effectively as we’ve seen him do before. U Mumba really disappointed. If they had won this match, they could have been strong contenders for the top four. They missed a very big opportunity.”
On Haryana Steelers’ comeback win:
“In the beginning, it seemed like Patna Pirates’ Ayan Lohchab had completely neutralized Haryana Steelers’ captain Jaideep Dahiya, and it looked as if Jaideep wouldn’t be able to bounce back in this match. But Jaideep is a great player. He knows how to recover and fight back. He controlled himself, backed his abilities, and later went on to dominate Ayan. Just like the defenders of Tamil Thalaivas, the Haryana defense didn’t shy away from Ayan. They kept attacking him continuously. In the second half, Haryana Steelers showed the same intent and aggression, and because of that, they went on to win the match.”
On Patna Pirates’ young raider Ayan Lohchab:
“Ayan Lohchab has been exceptional for the Patna Pirates this season. He has taken a big step forward and become the main strike raider for the three-time champions. He’s just 19-years-old, and has a lot of ability. In the future, he’s going to have many amazing seasons. It was an all-round performance from Ayan against Haryana Steelers. But the rest of the players didn’t provide him the required support, and because of that, the team struggled. Ayan has been the only player consistently performing for the Patna Pirates, almost a one-man show. The rest of the players haven’t been able to cope up, and that’s why we’ve seen the team struggle throughout this season.”
Catch Pro Kabaddi League action today as Patna Pirates face Gujarat Giants at 8:00 PM, followed by UP Yoddhas vs Tamil Thalaivas at 9:00 PM, live and exclusive on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network
“It was a very important win for UP Yoddhas against U Mumba because if they wanted to stay in contention for a top-eight spot, they had to secure this victory at any cost and that’s exactly what they did. It was a complete team performance that helped them overcome the Season 2 winners. They defended really well, executed their tackles as a unit, and Guman Singh led the charge in the raiding department, finishing the game with 12 points from 20 raids.”
On Guman Singh’s match-winning performance:
“We always used to say that the UP Yoddhas team management should give Guman Singh a chance in the starting seven because he has the ability to win matches, and against U Mumba, he proved exactly that. He consistently earned points for his team. Whether the defense was in a 4-5 or 4-3 combination, it didn’t bother him as he kept troubling their defense and scored in almost every situation. I think the reason UP Yoddhas won this match is because of Guman Singh. He deserves all the credit for this performance.”
On U Mumba’s lacklustre performance:
“I was very disappointed with U Mumba’s performance. I was expecting a good contest between the two sides, but the problems started right from the beginning for the Season 2 champions as they began playing very defensively. The raiding duo of Sandeep Kumar and Ajit Chouhan didn’t perform well, and when the raiders don’t deliver, U Mumba tends to struggle. The defense looked completely scattered, and coach Anil Chaprana exhausted all his substitution options early. By the end, the U Mumba side looked completely clueless, and we didn’t get to see a proper game plan from them against the Yoddhas. We often praise Sunil Kumar’s captaincy, but in this match, there were several shortcomings in his leadership, which prevented him from running the game effectively as we’ve seen him do before. U Mumba really disappointed. If they had won this match, they could have been strong contenders for the top four. They missed a very big opportunity.”
On Haryana Steelers’ comeback win:
“In the beginning, it seemed like Patna Pirates’ Ayan Lohchab had completely neutralized Haryana Steelers’ captain Jaideep Dahiya, and it looked as if Jaideep wouldn’t be able to bounce back in this match. But Jaideep is a great player. He knows how to recover and fight back. He controlled himself, backed his abilities, and later went on to dominate Ayan. Just like the defenders of Tamil Thalaivas, the Haryana defense didn’t shy away from Ayan. They kept attacking him continuously. In the second half, Haryana Steelers showed the same intent and aggression, and because of that, they went on to win the match.”
On Patna Pirates’ young raider Ayan Lohchab:
“Ayan Lohchab has been exceptional for the Patna Pirates this season. He has taken a big step forward and become the main strike raider for the three-time champions. He’s just 19-years-old, and has a lot of ability. In the future, he’s going to have many amazing seasons. It was an all-round performance from Ayan against Haryana Steelers. But the rest of the players didn’t provide him the required support, and because of that, the team struggled. Ayan has been the only player consistently performing for the Patna Pirates, almost a one-man show. The rest of the players haven’t been able to cope up, and that’s why we’ve seen the team struggle throughout this season.”
Catch Pro Kabaddi League action today as Patna Pirates face Gujarat Giants at 8:00 PM, followed by UP Yoddhas vs Tamil Thalaivas at 9:00 PM, live and exclusive on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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