PKL 12: Will Sagar Rathee play against UP Yoddhas tonight?

Sagar Rathee suffered an injury during Tamil Thalaivas’ pre-season camp ahead of PKL 12.

Tamil Thalaivas are set to face UP Yoddhas tonight (September 22, 2025) at 9:00 PM IST in Match 46 of Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 (PKL 12). This crucial encounter finds both teams struggling in the lower half of the points table, with the Thalaivas positioned eighth and the Yoddhas languishing at 10th place.

The Chennai-based franchise has endured a challenging campaign in PKL 2025, managing just three wins from seven matches and accumulating six points. Their recent form tells a tale of inconsistency.

In their last outing against Haryana Steelers, Tamil Thalaivas fell short despite captain Arjun Deshwal’s brilliant Super 10 performance with 13 raid points. The team’s defensive struggles were evident as they conceded crucial points in the closing stages.

The main reason behind their poor performance in defence is that they are playing without their most experienced defender, Sagar Rathee.

Will Sagar Rathee play tonight?

Sagar Rathee is unlikely to feature in Tamil Thalaivas’ clash tonight against the UP Yoddhas, as the Indian defender is currently undergoing rehabilitation and is yet to recover from his injury.

The last official update from Tamil Thalaivas confirmed on September 12, 2025, that their star defender is “currently undergoing rehabilitation to ensure complete recovery from injury”. The franchise emphasised that “He will rejoin the team upon his return to full fitness.”

This clarification came after widespread speculation about the defender’s prolonged absence from the team’s lineup throughout the season.

Sagar’s only appearance in PKL 12 came during Thalaivas’ third match of the season. The right-corner defender managed to register just one tackle point in four attempts.

The injury, sustained during Tamil Thalaivas’ pre-season camp, has effectively sidelined one of their most reliable defenders for the majority of the season. The absence of their defensive anchor has significantly affected Thalaivas’ overall structure.

Nitesh Kumar has shouldered the defensive responsibilities admirably, becoming their only player to record a High 5 this season. However, the team’s defensive statistics reveal the void left by Sagar; they average 10.6 tackle points per match.

Throughout his PKL career since 2019, Sagar Rathee has established himself as one of the premier defenders in the league. The 25-year-old from Rohtak has accumulated 227 tackle points in 72 matches, including 24 Super Tackles and 20 High 5s. 

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