Pro Kabaddi: U Mumba captain Anup Kumar expecting a defensive semi-final vs Patna Pirates

Anup Kumar (orange) in action against Patna Pirates

U Mumba find themselves in familiar territory as they play their second semi-final in as many years. Mumbai’s enthusiastic captain Anup Kumar was all smiles at the press conference, a day before his side face the Patna Pirates in the Pro Kabaddi League.

These two semi-finalists have met twice this season and on both occasions, U Mumba emerged victorious by five points. Hence, the difference isn’t as large as the points table suggests. Talking about Patna’s young team, Anup Kumar hailed the opposition’s defensive displays.

He told Sportskeeda, “They have a rock solid defense and I believe they will adopt a defensive approach against us. Their raiders aren’t as experienced as our raiders. I don’t think they can withstand our team’s defence, so I believe they will be focusing on earning points during our raids.”

But, Anup was quick to accept that his team too might adopt the same approach against the Pirates which will make for an intriguing watch.

“I agree that we too will probably defend a lot, but our offence looks pretty good too. You look at Shabeer (Bapu); he is fully fit and raring to go. Rishank (Devadiga) looks focused too. Plus I haven’t been playing that bad, so our team looks well-rounded,” the raider cheekily added.

Talking about pressure situations, Anup pointed out that matches at these stages may not be the most attractive to watch.

“I personally believe both the matches might not be as explosive as the group stage matches. All four teams will be banking on the third raid to bail them out. At this stage, you can’t risk a lot since it is a knockout match, but I assure you it will be an interesting battle to watch.”

U Mumba will play the Patna Pirates at the NSCI stadium in Mumbai on the 21st at 9 pm.