U Mumba once again grabbed the victory from the jaws of defeat as a late show helped them clinch a 29-27 win over hosts Puneri Paltan. Rishank Devadiga and Shabeer Bapu were the heroes for the defending Champions as they managed to raid away points from the Puneri Paltan at crucial times in the season.
However, as Rishank stole the limelight, stand-in skipper Rakesh Kumar’s captaincy and leadership on the court was top class once again, as he used his options amicably.
Rakesh Kumar was obviously delighted with the last-gasp win and hailed his players and Coach Bhaskaran Edachery.
Our coach has played a key role: Rajesh Kumar
“Our Coach has played a key role in getting us fighting till the end. Even when we are down, he makes us believe that we are the best. So I think that’s the reason why we respond in tough situations, we always have that confidence due to the Coach,” a happy Rajesh Kumar told Sportskeeda after the game.
“Everyone played well today, but I felt Rishank’s contribution was a bit more than the others. We have huge confidence in his abilities and we know we can rely on him in such situations. I’m happy he proved us right again,” Rakesh added.
Rakesh Kumar has skippered the side extremely well in Anup Kumar’s absence and when asked about it, Kumar told it was all about taking the responsibility.
“For me, captaincy is all about taking responsibility. I took the responsibility of going for the do-or-die raid in the end as I felt I needed to take the responsibility. Even though I failed, my team-mates rescued me and the team,” opined the stand-in U Mumba skipper.
“The fact that I love about this U Mumba team is that it’s like a family, everyone plays for each other and I’m fortunate to be a part of this group,” Kumar added.
Rakesh Kumar’s U Mumba will look to strengthen their grip on the top four places with a win over the Bengal Warriors. However, considering the Warriors’ form this season, it would be easier said than done even for U Mumba.
