UP Yoddhas are among the top fighters in Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) history. The Lucknow-based team is ready for the challenges of the upcoming 11th season of the PKL.
UP Yoddhas made their PKL debut in PKL 5 (2017). In their first five seasons, Yoddhas always finished among the top six to participate at least in the eliminators. Yoddhas played semi-finals in the PKL 6 and PKL 8 but lost both of those semi-finals.
The last PKL season (2023/24) was the worst PKL season for the UP Yoddhas, as they finished in 11th place.
UP Yoddhas Squad 2024 Players List
To set up a team for the 11th season, Yoddhas retained six players and bought eight players from auction. In the table below, find out the UP Yoddhas complete list of players for PKL 2024.
Player | Role | New/Retained |
Surender Gill | Raider | Retained |
Gagana Gowda HR | Right Raider | Retained |
Shivam Chaudhary | Left Raider | Retained |
Bhavani Rajput | Raider | New |
Heidarali Ekrami | Raider | New |
Akshay R Suryawanshi | Raider | New |
Sumit | Defender Left Corner | Retained |
Ashu Singh | Defender Right Cover | Retained |
Hitesh | Defender Right Corner | Retained |
Sahul Kumar | Defender Right Corner | New |
Mohammadreza Kaboudrahangi | Defender | New |
Mahender Singh | Defender Left Cover | New |
Bharat Hooda | All-Rounder | New |
Vivek | All-Rounder | New |
UP Yoddhas New Signings in PKL 2024 Auction
Yoddhas reached to crore to sign Bhavani Rajput. In the latest auction, Yoddhas spent money in every position. They have signed 8 new players. In the table below we have summed up all of them with position and price.
Player | Position | Auction Price (INR) |
Bhavani Rajput | Raider | 1.30 Cr |
Heidarali Ekrami | Raider | 45 lakh |
Akshay R Suryawanshi | Raider | 30 lakh |
Sahul Kumar | Defender Right Corner | 25 lakh |
Mohammadreza Kaboudrahangi | Defender | 21.40 lakh |
Mahender Singh | Defender Left Cover | 19.10 lakh |
Bharat Hooda | All-Rounder | 12.90 lakh |
Vivek | All-Rounder | 9 lakh |
UP Yoddhas Status After 2024 Auction
After the PKL 2024 auction, here’s where the UP Yoddhas stand:
Category | Details |
Total Spent | 4.878 Cr |
Remaining Purse | 12.189 lakh |
Raiders | 6 |
Defenders | 6 |
All Rounders | 2 |
Remaining FBM (Final Bid Match) | 3 |
Expectations for the Upcoming Season
To sign Bharat Hooda, Yoddhas spent more than one crore. Although he scored 109 points in the last season for Bengaluru Bulls, he was in the second position in the list of both total points and most raid points. Surender Gill, Iranian Heidarali Ekrami, and experienced Bhavani Rajput will have to play important roles for the team.
Sumit Sangwan and Ashu Singh will have to play key roles in the defence. Sahul Kumar and Mahender Singh can play important roles for their new team.
