TEAM TRACKER: U Mumba miss iconic defence duo, but pack enough spirit to match fearsome record

THERE'S YET TO BE a Pro Kabaddi final without U Mumba in it.

Ever since the beginning of the landmark league that changed the way kabaddi was looked at by the Indian populace, U Mumba have been one of the most consistently performing sides in the PKL. They've been champions once, and on the two other occasions lost out in the final.

Under a veteran firebrand coach K Bhaskaran, U Mumba's performance in the first PKL season was all spirit, and they reached the final. They strengthened the side before the second season and absolutely smashed the oppositions to bits, claiming the title with an astonishing 14 wins in 16 matches. In the third season they were once again the overwhelming favourites, but lost to Patna Pirates by 3 points in a hard-fought final.

Part of the reason they managed to deliver with such regularity was the well-rounded core of the team that they managed to keep intact for a long time. Captain-raider Anup Kumar, holder of two Asian Games gold medals and an Arjuna Awardee, has lead them from the front and kept up the team spirit that gave them such momentum. The likes of Gurvinder Singh, Rishank Devadiga also add to U Mumba's raiding capabilities, and can potentially make up for the departure of Shabeer Bapu Sharfudheen. Rakesh Kumar brings a lot onto the table too with his all-rounder machismo. Further boost in their attack can come from the 3 Bangladeshi raiders they have in the squad, youngsters Md. Aruduzzaman Munshi and Md. Tuhin Tarafder as well as the battle-hardened Md. Zakir Hossain, all of whom are yet to make their PKL debut.

But looking at the U Mumba defence it's hard to draw an optimism at par with the previous seasons. And the main reason behind that is the absence of the two guards who have provided constant support to their corners, and often neutralized their opponents' chances to use the sides and made the idea of taking bonus points a scary one. We're talking about the most famous defensive duo in PKL: Surender Nada and Mohit Chillar. The two souls who are unseparable inside and outside the court decided to leave for Bengaluru Bulls after a Rs 83 lakh double coup in the auction by the franchise from the Garden City. And although the likes of Jeevva Kumar, Vikas Kale, Surjeet and Sunil Kumar provide some stability to the defence but the iconic pair will still be missed.

The lack of enough all-rounders may also end up being a headache for U Mumba. Other than Rakesh Kumar they don't have a player who is a prominent raider cum defender. Which makes them vulnerable to certain traps: a couple of unsuccessful raids from them or one super raid from their opponents can sap one side their game for the next few minutes, and increase the chances of an all-out. 

But although the way the squad looks like it won't be as ferocious a competitor as the previous editions of Pro Kabaddi, the wild card of this team lies in its youth. The likes of Nitin Kumar and Sourav V may end up providing that extra bit of squad depth and raw zeal that takes them past the finishing line, and make sure that when 31st July comes around, they are once again seen in the usual business of fighting for glory in the PKL final.