Star Sports Pro Kabaddi: Shabeer Bapu shines in U Mumba's 36-23 win over Bengaluru Bulls

U Mumba’s Anup Kumar and Shabeer Bapu look on during the team’s win against Bengaluru Bulls

On the second day of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi, U Mumba annihilated Bengaluru Bulls 36-23. Shabeer Bapu was the star of the match as he got 10 points out of the 14 raids he went for. Both the teams came into the match with wins on the opening day – Mumbai against Jaipur Pink Panthers and Bengaluru against Bengal Warriors.

Last season’s MVP Anup Kumar got the match underway, but it was the oldest man of the league, Bulls defender Dharmaraj Cheralathan who tackled him alone to win the first points of the game. However, local boy Rishank Devadiga got Anup back on the field when he got 3 Bulls defenders out to win Mumbai’s first points.

With Mumbai leading 5-1, Rajesh Mondal came back with a super raid, tagging 3 U Mumba players before crossing the line and Joginder Narwal tackled Shabeer Bapu to bring the scoreline on level terms. Ajay Thakur brought Bengaluru back in the lead, before Anup was caught in the 9th minute as all of U Mumba’s players got out and the Bulls got 2 bonus points as they led the home side 10-7.

A slow period ensued in the first half from the 10th minute as both teams exchanged points and returned with a couple of unsuccessful raids. Shabeer Bapu, going against the flow of the match, got 2 points in spectacular fashion as he got Manjeet Chhillar and Preetam Chhillar out with a single raid to get the momentum back in U Mumba’s favour.

28-year-old Bapu led from the front and got the home team in the lead and the finalists from last season went from strength to strength and ended the half with a massive 7-point lead. Having trailed 9-12 at one point, they led 19-12 at the break.

Shimokawa makes his debut

The second half of the match started in the same way the first ended – U Mumba on the front foot. Shabeer Bapu, Rishank Devadiga and defender Surender Nada consistently got points and got all of the players of the opposition out after 8 minutes in the second half to lead 29-15.

Bengaluru Bulls were looking down and out, but Ajay Thakur and Ashish Chhokar returned with successful raids to reduce Mumba’s lead to 12 points with 8 minutes to go in the match. However, India’s vice captain Anup Kumar was having none of it as he executed his famous toe touch to perfection to get Joginder Narwal out and on his way back touched Preetam Chhillar for a 2-point raid.

Coming on the back of a 1-point win over last season’s champions, U Mumba did not offer the Bulls a chance to get back in the game, playing intelligently without taking any risks. Shabeer Bapu continued his brilliant run and used his flexibility to get his fingertips across the line when he was held by Manjeet Chhillar and Joginder.

Japanese Masayuki Shimokawa came on in the end to make his first appearance of the tournament, but he got out in his only raid as the full-time whistle went. Mumbai won their second consecutive match 36-23 to top the table and they will now face Patna Pirates.

Man of the match: Shabeer Bapu

Watch the highlights of the match here.