Meanwhile, Bhavani Rajput and Guman Singh’s 10 points each show that the team has well-rounded firepower in their attacking contingent, which can dissect any defense with ease.

This teamwork earned praise from the team’s assistant coach, Upendra Malik.”We have a varied set of raiders, but Gagan always starts strong and has the ability to garner multiple points from a raid. He continuously surprises everyone by beating expectations. Our team has regularly delivered inspiring performances. We have a tendency to start on the front foot, and hence our confidence will never be dampened. We are likely to come back stronger and produce a good performance in the coming games,” Malik said. The numbers back this blend, as the UP Yoddhas feature in the top five for both raid points (61) and tackle points (31), asserting the dual threat they pose. The Yoddhas are focused on building an identity as a team that refuses to concede at the back while hitting hard in attack.

If early signs are anything to go by, this fusion of defensive tenacity and offensive flair could well set them up for a deep run this season.