UP Yoddhas rope in star all-rounder Sandeep Narwal for the rest of PKL 9

The veteran went unsold in the auction.

Sandeep Narwal has been added to the UP Yoddhas squad in the mid-season addition in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) season 9. Sandeep Narwal is considered one of the best all-rounders in the league's history but has lost form in the last couple of seasons. He played for Dabang Delhi KC in season 8 and played all the encounters for the franchise winning the title for the first time. Sandeep was not sold in the auctions with the decline in form but has a chance to showcase his skill going ahead.

Overall, Sandeep Narwal has played in 149 matches scoring 623 points (raiding+defence). The all-rounder contributed equally both in raid and defence at the start of the league but then became a full-time corner defender. In season 8, Sandeep Narwal scored overall 64 points but had quite a few unsuccessful tackles. He has represented Patna Pirates, Puneri Paltan, and Dabang Delhi KC in the past.

UP Yodhhas after the end of the first half of the tournament languished in the bottom half of the points table with 30 points. The defense hasn't clicked so far as expected with the corner duo of Sumit and Nitesh not having their best season. Nitesh Kumar in season 7 scored more than 100 tackle points but has not lived up to the expectation and has also given up the captaincy to Pardeep Narwal. In the last five matches, UP Yoddhas has tied and lost two winning a single encounter. All the teams in the mid-table are close to each other and the competition is evenly balanced to date. With the experience of Sandeep Narwal, UP Yoddhas will look to lift their maiden title this season.