PKL Season 12: Best Raider, Best Defender, Top Team after Week 1 of Pro Kabaddi League 2025

Add as a preferred source on Google

The Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 (PKL 2025) kicked off in Visakhapatnam on August 29 with electrifying action and innovations that have already made it a landmark season.

The tournament's opening day on the JioStar network outperformed last year, with TV ratings surpassing the PKL 11 opener. On digital, PKL Season 12's reach grew 3X, while total watch-time rose 22%, powered by new rules and immersive fan experiences. PKL Special Page | Stats | Player Comparison

Puneri Paltan Lead the Table After Week 1

Puneri Paltan have been the standout team of the first week, winning three out of their first four matches. They defeated Bengaluru Bulls (tie-breaker), Gujarat Giants (41-19), and Bengal Warriors (45-36) before narrowly losing to Dabang Delhi in a dramatic golden raid decider. The team's all-round consistency has put them on top of the points table.

U.P. Yoddhas & Dabang Delhi Shine Early

U.P. Yoddhas and Dabang Delhi have each started their campaigns with back-to-back wins. Yoddhas overcame Telugu Titans (40-35) and Patna Pirates (34-31), while Delhi defeated Bengaluru Bulls (41-34) before edging out Puneri Paltan in the golden raid.

Inaugural season's champions U Mumba also began strongly, defeating Gujarat Giants (tie-breaker) and Tamil Thalaivas (36-33), but stumbled against Haryana Steelers in a tie-breaker.

Defending Champs & Other Teams

Defending champions Haryana Steelers had a shaky start, losing to Bengal Warriors but bouncing back to beat U Mumba in a tie-breaker. Jaipur Pink Panthers, Tamil Thalaivas, and Bengal Warriors each secured one win and one loss in their opening matches.

Telugu Titans showed resilience, bouncing back with a win over Jaipur after suffering two early defeats. Meanwhile, Patna Pirates, Bengaluru Bulls, and Gujarat Giants remain winless after their first two matches, with Gujarat struggling the most due to poor scoring margins.

PKL 2025 Week 1 Star Performers: Top Raiders

After the first week of PKL Season 12, Bengal Warriorz' skipper Devank Dalal leads the raiding charts with an impressive 38 raid points in just two matches. Close behind him is Puneri Paltan's Aditya Shinde, who has notched up 32 raid points in four games.

Dabang Delhi's captain Ashu Malik (27 points in 2 matches) and Telugu Titans' star raider (27 points in 3 matches) share the third spot. Jaipur Pink Panthers' Nitin Kumar Dhankar and U Mumba's Ajit Chauhan are tied at fifth, both securing 26 raid points.

In terms of Super 10s, Dalal, Malik, Dhankar, and Tamil Thalaivas' Arjun Deshwal each recorded two Super 10s in the opening week, while 11 other players managed one apiece.

• Devank Dalal (Bengal Warriorz) leads with 38 raid points in just two matches.
• Aditya Shinde (Puneri Paltan) follows with 32 raid points in four matches.
• Ashu Malik (Dabang Delhi) and Telugu Titans' lead raider Vijay Malik are tied at 27.
• Nitin Dhankar (Jaipur Pink Panthers) and Ajit Chauhan (U Mumba) both secured 26 points each.
• Super 10s: Devank Dalal, Ashu Malik, Nitin Dhankar, and Arjun Deshwal (Tamil Thalaivas) each registered two Super 10s in the opening week.

Top Defenders in Week 1 of PKL 2025

In the first week of PKL Season 12, defenders also left a strong impact, with Puneri Paltan's players dominating the charts. Three of the top five tacklers belonged to the Pune side. Gaurav Khatri led the standings with 14 tackle points, followed by his teammate Gurdeep and UP Yoddhas' captain Sumit Sangwan, both tied in second place with 13 points each.

U Mumba's Lokesh Ghosaliya registered 11 points in three matches to claim fourth spot, while veteran defender Vishal Bhardwaj (Puneri Paltan) secured 9 points in four matches to sit at fifth.

When it comes to High 5s, UP Yoddhas' Sumit stood out with back-to-back High 5s in two matches. Fazel Atrachali (Dabang Delhi), Ashu Singh (UP Yoddhas), Ashish Malik (Bengal Warriors), and Ankush Rathi (Bengaluru Bulls) each recorded one High 5, while six other defenders also managed a single High 5, though in more than two games.

• Gaurav Khatri (Puneri Paltan) tops the list with 14 tackle points.
• Gurdeep (Puneri Paltan) and Sumit Sangwan (U.P. Yoddhas) are ranked second with 13 each in week 1.
• Lokesh Ghosaliya (U Mumba) and Vishal Bhardwaj (Puneri Paltan) round off the top five.
• High 5s: Sumit Sangwan impressed with two consecutive High 5s, while Iranian legend Fazel Atrachali (Dabang Delhi), Ashu Singh (U.P. Yoddhas), Ashish Malik (Bengal Warriors), and Ankush Rathi (Bengaluru Bulls) each notched one High 5.

What's Next in PKL Season 12?

As PKL 12 enters its second week, the big question is whether Puneri Paltan can continue their dominance or if struggling giants like Patna Pirates, Gujarat Giants, and Bengaluru Bulls will mount a comeback. With golden raids, tie-breakers, and the new zero-point rule for losing teams, the season promises more drama than ever before.

--

The writer is a senior sports journalist who has been covering Pro Kabaddi League since Season 1.