The Ronnie Screwvala backed Mumbai outfit can definitely be called as one of the power-houses of Pro Kabaddi League since its very inception. Finishing as runners-up to the Jaipur Pink Panthers in Season 1, the team came back strongly in the second edition to complete the unfinished business and claim the coveted title.
In Season 3, they again fell short at the final hurdle against the Patna Pirates but nonetheless put up a great show, while Season 4 could be termed as a forgettable instalment for the champion team.
What works best for them is having Captain Cool Anup Kumar at the helm of affairs, marshalling his troops with example. Having claimed all the possible titles in the realm of kabaddi, the Arjuna awardee has been with the squad since day one and was quite evidently retained ahead of the Season 5 auctions.
The other factor that works to their advantage is the dynamic coaching duo of Bhaskaran and Ravi Shetty who never cease to bring the best out of their players whether it is in training or on the kabaddi mat.
The team are primarily looking to be an attacking team due to the quality of raiders that they have chosen from the Category A at the auctions, including Kashiling, Shabeer Bapu and Nitin Madane. Joginder Narwal, the famed all-rounder who came in at a bargain price will bring not only skills but also experience to the fore for the team
As for the foreigners, the greatest pick could be the Iranian Hadi Oshtorak, who was a part of the Season 4 winners Patna Pirates in the last edition.
Key Transfers:
1. Kuldeep Singh- The young all-rounder was tipped as one of the top picks of the season prior to the auctions due to his exploits in the last two seasons for the Patna Pirates when they emerged as champions. Having amassed 82 raid points and 43 tackle points from his 39 matches so far in the tournament, Kuldeep will surely feature in the starting 7 at U Mumba.
2. Shabeer Bapu- The decision to bring back former Mumbai man into the team after an away season at Jaipur was a refreshing change for fans of the team. Shabeer was the team’s first choice raider in the past and he will look to reprise the same role in the forthcoming season as well.
A complete match-winner, his ability to take the game away from the opposition will work in U Mumba’s favour.
Complete Squad:
Anup Kumar | Raider |
Kashiling Adake | Raider |
Nitin Madane | Raider |
Shabeer Bapu | Raider |
Darshan | Raider |
Shrikant Jadhav | Raider |
Mohan Raman G | Raider |
Sachin Kumar | Defender |
D. Suresh Kumar | Defender |
Joginder Narwal | Defender |
Surender Singh | Defender |
N Renjith | Defender |
Hadi Oshtorak (Iran) | All-Rounder |
Yongjoo Ok (Republic of Korea) | All-Rounder |
Dongju Hong (Republic of Korea) | All-Rounder |
Kuldeep Singh | All-Rounder |
Shiv Om | All-Rounder |
E. Subhash | All-Rounder |
Also Read: Pro Kabaddi 2017 Season 5: Full List of players bought by all the teams with price
