PKL: U Mumba's return reignites Kabaddi fervour in the City of Dreams

Mumbai: U Mumba will be looking to carry their momentum in the ongoing 10th Season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) as they return to Mumbai after a four-year-long hiatus. U Mumba will play four high-octane matches at the DOME, NSCI, during the Mumbai-leg which will feature a total of 11 matches.

U Mumba has been on a roll this season, winning five of their seven matches played so far, including four back-to-back wins and are making positive strides towards a return to the playoffs. Rinku, debutant Sombir and team vice-captain Mahender Singh have been setting the mat on fire with their performances as top defenders, while Iranian recruit, 19-year-old Amirmohammad Zafardanesh has also emerged as a find of the tournament, and the best raider for the team with 64 raid points so far.

Thrilling performances from captain Surinder Singh, prolific raider Guman Singh and key all-rounder Vishwanth also continues to dazzle the U Mumba ranks.

“Our primary goal has been to secure a spot in the playoffs and showcase consistency and determination throughout and I’m delighted with the performances the boys have been putting up. Winning five out of the seven matches & four successive matches for the first time since Season 6 signifies the hard work done pre-season, the team camaraderie and the belief that this young UMumba team have for each other. Our spirit and excitement are very high to play in Mumbai after four long years and delight the home crowd. We hope our home matches will further catapult the confidence of the team as we go forward,” commented U Mumba CEO Suhail Chandhok during a press conference, attended by coach Gholamreza Mazandarani, Surinder Singh, Mahender Singh and Guman Singh, on Thursday.

After becoming the first & only team in the Pro Kabaddi League to have registered 100 wins in PKL history, U Mumba will be seeking to continue their formidable run in the 10th Season when they take on Bengaluru Bulls on Friday.

“Playing before the fans at home will boost the side to deliver their A game. To me every game whether home or away is equally important but we hope to make use of the home advantage with our fans cheering us on during the Mumbai leg. If you analyse the seven matches we have played, the one we could not win went down to the wire and the last few games has seen tremendous improvement in terms of strategy under pressure,” coach Mazandarani said.

Zafardanesh leads U Mumba's stats as the top raider with 64 points in seven matches and has been the find of the season for the team. With an average of 8.86 raid points per match, the Iranian recruit also impresses with 76% not outs. Meanwhile, the experienced Guman Singh, with two Super Raids, has accumulated 54 points at the average of 7.71 raid points per match.

Known for its prowess, U Mumba commands three premier sports franchises at the PKL and Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) while the upGrad Mumba Masters also reached the final of the inaugural Global Chess League.