Pro Kabaddi 2023: UP Yoddhas eliminated from playoffs race; fail to qualify for the first time in PKL history
UP Yoddhas on Monday, February 5, have been officially eliminated from the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) season 10 following the result of Match 106 between Jaipur Pink Panthers and Patna Pirates.
The three-time PKL champions eked out the Pink Panthers in a 26-25 thriller at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. Patna's win took them to fourth position on the PKL 2023-24 points table with nine wins from 19 matches, accumulating 58 points.
On the other hand, UP Yoddhas are rooted at the bottom side of the table, having won just four out of 17 matches they have played so far in the tournament. The team is placed in the 11th position with 28 points.
Considering that the Pardeep Narwal-led team wins all of its remaining five matches in the PKL 2023-24, the maximum number of points they can amass at the end of the league stage is 53.
Haryana Steelers, which is presently placed in sixth spot, has a tally of 55 points. This means the Lucknow-based outfit won't qualify for the playoffs anyway.
UP Yoddhas miss playoffs qualification for the first time in PKL history
UP Yoddhas were founded in 2017 by the GMR Group and played their first season in the fifth season (PKL 2017). Though the club has never lifted the PKL trophy, it ensured to qualify for the playoffs every season until the current one.
The team finished third in the Zone B points table in its maiden season when the league was played in the group formats instead of round-robin fixtures as seen today. The same position was secured in Zone B in the following season as well.
In the seventh (2021-22) and eighth (2022-23) seasons, the Yoddhas finished third in the league stage, while a fourth-placed finish guaranteed them a place in the playoffs in the previous edition. UP Yoddhas have never made a PKL final appearance after featuring in the tournament for the last six seasons.