The Pro Kabaddi League is entering its fifth season this July and like all the past editions, it will be Anup Kumar who will lead the U Mumba side. The 33-year-old was retained by his team earlier this week and will look to take his team to what will be their second PKL title.
The upcoming season is expected to be the biggest so far and will feature four new teams, one of which is co-owned by cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar. It will span a time period of over three months, featuring over 130 matches in all – more than any competition of its kind in India.
The eight existing teams were allowed to retain one player each before the player auction, which is scheduled for Monday i.e. May 22. All teams, with the exception of the Jaipur Pink Panthers, retained one key player from the last edition and it was the experienced Anup Kumar, who was Mumbai’s choice for the same.
We at Sportskeeda spoke exclusively to Anup, as he talked about the upcoming campaign, his thoughts on the strategies of other teams as well as his favourite player. Here are a few excerpts!
Hello Anup! What are your expectations from season five of the Pro Kabaddi League?
I am really excited for the league to begin once again. It has been very good for the sport and in just a few years, kabaddi has become so popular all over India. This season will be much longer than the previous ones, which means more action for the fans. And now we have a legend such as Sachin Tendulkar associated with the league, which again is a very positive sign.
Will you be a part of the U Mumba think tank at the auction?
I am yet to receive a final confirmation, but yes, I will be there with my team at the auction in most probability.
What kind of players will you look to bring to Mumbai?
To be competitive, we will need strong players in both attack and defense. I feel we will look for fit and athletic players, who can play everywhere and adapt according to the situation of the game. Otherwise, we’ll see what we have once the auction is over and make the best use of the resources available.
What about the youngsters who will be there at the auction? Have you seen them in action?
I know that there was a camp held in Mumbai for young players but I was unable to attend. Our coach, however, was there and he saw and assessed the players who made it to the list. They will be a welcome addition to the league and we will look to get the best ones in our team.
If given the choice to pick, who would be that one player that you would want in your U Mumba side at any cost?
(laughs) This is a tricky question. If I had to choose one, it would be Mohit Chhillar. He is still young, he’s very strong in defense and plays with a lot of heart. He will definitely be a welcome addition to any side.
How would you rate the retention strategies of other teams, especially the Bengaluru Bulls and the Jaipur Pink Panthers?
I think everyone has a different strategy and mindset while retaining the players. For Jaipur, they might be looking to improve their budget before the auction and they also have many talented players such as Jasvir (Singh) and Rajesh Narwal in their squad, so it could have been difficult for them to say no to one.
As far as Bengaluru is concerned, they retained Ashish (Sangwan) last year as well. He is young and a very good all-rounder. It will be interesting to see how they will approach the auction.
