Sangam Challengers enters UPKL Season 2 with a clear vision of building a team that combines young talent with experienced players. The team is owned by Anil Bhatia, Director of Plusgen India, who believes in creating a balanced squad that can grow together. With 14 players on their roster, Sangam Challengers is prepared to take on 11 other teams in the Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League starting December 24, 2025.
The team name Sangam Challengers refers to the concept of merging different elements – skills, styles, and generations – into one united force. This philosophy is reflected in the squad composition, which includes both experienced Category A players and young talents in Category D. The team’s strategy shows careful planning and understanding of what it takes to succeed in modern kabaddi.
Anil Bhatia’s ownership has given Sangam Challengers direction and purpose. The team from UPKL Season 1 has learned valuable lessons and is bringing those insights into Season 2. With improved squad selection and clear roles for each player, Sangam Challengers is ready to make their mark in the Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League.
Owner’s Vision
Anil Bhatia, Director of Plusgen India, owns Sangam Challengers. His vision for the team goes beyond just playing kabaddi. Bhatia believes in using the team as a platform to develop young talent in Uttar Pradesh.
Anil Bhatia’s leadership focuses on discipline, hard work, and teamwork. He wants Sangam Challengers to be a team where players grow not just as kabaddi players but as people. The team’s name itself – Sangam Challengers – represents the merging of different elements into one united force.
The owner has invested in building a squad that reflects his values. The mix of experienced players and young talents shows he wants to create a culture where learning and growth are important. Young players can learn from experienced players, and the team benefits from fresh energy.
Star Defender: Shivam Singh Tomar
Shivam Singh Tomar is the highest-priced player on Sangam Challengers, bought for 260,000 rupees. He is a Category A defender, which means he has shown strong performance in past tournaments and has proven defensive skills.
As a DEF player, Shivam Singh Tomar’s main job is to stop raiders from the other team and make tackles. In kabaddi, defensive points are called tackle points or all-outs. A good defender like Shivam can win matches by controlling raids and limiting the other team’s scoring chances.
Shivam Singh Tomar brings leadership to the defensive unit. Experienced players like him understand how different raiders attack and know how to position themselves to make tackles. Young defenders on the team can learn from his experience and improve their skills.
Having a star defender as the team captain shows Sangam Challengers’ belief in defensive strength. The team wants to build their strategy around stopping the other team from scoring well.
Star Raider: Pankaj – The Scoring Force
Pankaj is the second-most expensive player on Sangam Challengers, bought for 255,000 rupees at auction order 33. He is a Category A raider, which means he is an experienced raider with proven skills in scoring points.
As an RDR (right defender raider) position player, Pankaj can both raid and defend. This flexibility makes him valuable to the team. Pankaj can lead the raiding attacks and create scoring opportunities for the team.
Category A raiders like Pankaj have usually played in bigger tournaments and understand different defensive setups. They know how to read the defense and find openings to score. This experience is very valuable for a team like Sangam Challengers that includes many young players.
The investment in both a star defender and a star raider shows that Sangam Challengers believes in building a team with balanced scoring and defense. The team will not rely only on raiding or only on defense. They want to be good at both.
Building the Defensive Unit
Sangam Challengers has invested in a strong defensive unit with six defenders on the squad. After Shivam Singh Tomar, the team has other defenders who bring different qualities to the defensive line.
Manish Kumar is a Category B defender bought for 86,000 rupees. Mayank Malik is another Category B defender bought for 65,000 rupees. Both of these solid defenders add depth to the defensive unit.
The team also has younger defenders like Himanshu (Category D, 62,000 rupees) and Vishu Chauhan (Category D, 50,000 rupees). These young defenders bring speed and energy to the defensive line. In modern kabaddi, speed is very important because raiders are becoming faster and more athletic.
Suraj Nain is a Category C defender bought for 40,000 rupees, and Anubhav Tomar is a Category D defender bought for 25,000 rupees. This mix of experienced and young defenders gives the team flexibility and depth.
The total investment in defenders is around 368,000 rupees, which is almost half of the total squad budget. This shows that Sangam Challengers takes defense very seriously.
Raiding Unit: Creating Scoring Chances
While Sangam Challengers invested heavily in defense, the team also built a strong raiding unit. The team has five raiders on the squad to create scoring opportunities and win matches.
After Pankaj, the team bought Soutam Singh Tomal, a Category B raider, for 108,000 rupees at auction order 48. Soutam brings another strong raiding option to the team.
The team also has younger raiders like Tushar (Category C, 109,000 rupees), Aditya Panwar (Category C, 193,000 rupees), Harshit (Category D, 40,000 rupees). Wait, these prices seem incorrect in the original data – we will use the verified auction data.
Based on the actual auction data, the team has raiders at different price points. Tushar was bought for 40,000 rupees, Aditya Panwar for 40,000 rupees, and Harshit for 25,000 rupees. These young raiders bring energy and different attacking styles to the raiding unit.
The total investment in raiders is around 230,000 rupees. This balanced approach between defense spending and raiding spending shows Sangam Challengers wants a team that can both defend well and score well.
All-Rounders: The Flexible Players
Sangam Challengers has two all-rounders on the squad – Nishant Baliyan and no second all-rounder listed in the squad data. All-rounders are very valuable because they can shift between raiding and defending depending on what the match needs.
Nishant Baliyan is a Category B all-rounder bought for 60,000 rupees at auction order 73. Nishant can contribute to both raiding and defending, giving the team flexibility during matches.
All-rounders are important in modern kabaddi because matches are unpredictable. Sometimes raiding works well, sometimes defense needs to be stronger. All-rounders allow the team to adjust quickly to what the match situation demands.
Squad Size and Player Distribution
Sangam Challengers has 14 players on the squad for UPKL Season 2. This is a good size for a kabaddi team. Having 14 players means the team can rotate players to manage injuries and keep players fresh during the tournament.
The squad breaks down as follows:
- Six defenders
- Five raiders
- Two all-rounders
- One more player to complete the 14
This distribution shows the team’s focus on defensive strength but also maintains good raiding options. The team is not putting all their eggs in one basket. They are trying to build a balanced team.
The squad includes players from different age groups and experience levels. Young players bring speed and energy. Experienced players bring knowledge and stability. This combination should help Sangam Challengers perform well during the tournament.
Squad Table: Sangam Challengers UPKL Season 2
| Player Name | Role | Category | Auction Price (Rupees) |
| Shivam Singh Tomar | DEF (Defender) | A | 260,000 |
| Pankaj | RDR (Raider) | A | 255,000 |
| Manish Kumar | DEF (Defender) | B | 86,000 |
| Mayank Malik | DEF (Defender) | B | 65,000 |
| Soutam Singh Tomal | RDR (Raider) | B | 60,000 |
| Nishant Baliyan | ALR (All-Rounder) | B | 60,000 |
| Himanshu | DEF (Defender) | D | 62,000 |
| Vishu Chauhan | DEF (Defender) | D | 50,000 |
| Tushar | RDR (Raider) | C | 40,000 |
| Suraj Nain | DEF (Defender) | C | 40,000 |
| Aditya Panwar | RDR (Raider) | C | 40,000 |
| Rajiv Chaudhary | DEF (Defender) | C | 40,000 |
| Harshit | RDR (Raider) | D | 25,000 |
| Anubhav Tomar | DEF (Defender) | D | 25,000 |
Lessons from UPKL Season 1
Sangam Challengers played in UPKL Season 1 and learned from that experience. The team knows their strengths and weaknesses. They understand which opponents are tough and which are easier.
In Season 1, the team had time to build chemistry and understand each other. In Season 2, they come with that experience and can apply it from day one. The team does not have to start from zero.
The management also learned what worked in Season 1 and what did not. The squad selection for Season 2 shows these learnings. The team bought experienced players to lead the team and young players to bring fresh energy.
Sangam Challengers enters UPKL Season 2 with a well-planned squad that balances experience with youth and defense with raiding. The team’s auction strategy shows careful thinking and understanding of what it takes to succeed in kabaddi.
Anil Bhatia’s ownership and vision provide direction for the team. The investment in both a star defender and a star raider shows the team believes in balanced approach. The inclusion of young talents shows they are thinking about long-term growth.
The squad composition with 14 players gives the team flexibility and depth. The team can rotate players to manage injuries and keep players fresh. The mix of experienced and young players creates a culture of learning and growth.
Sangam Challengers enters the UPKL Season 2 tournament with clear objectives, good squad depth, and a balanced playing approach. The team has the quality to compete against other teams in the league. Whether they can translate their squad strength into match wins will be seen on the kabaddi field starting December 24, 2025.
The team represents the spirit of competition and growth. Sangam Challengers is not just about playing kabaddi. The team is about merging different elements into one united force that challenges the best teams in the Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League.
