PKL 2022: Should U Mumba sign Anup Kumar as head coach?
August 23, 2015, is a date that will forever be etched in the minds of U Mumba fans. 'Captain Cool' Anup Kumar calmly walked across the mid-line to put in the final raid of the finale. With a healthy five-point lead, U Mumba were all but champions. They held their nerve in what was a riveting finale to cap off a season where they were dominant.
An impatient Manjeet Chhillar, plying his trade for the Bengaluru Bulls in season two, watched as the clock ticked by.
With more than twenty seconds to go in the raid and the match clock having run down, the veteran all-rounder came forward and gave his Indian national team skipper a hug, acknowledging his and U Mumba's supremacy in the contest.
As he gently pushed Anup over the mid-line to complete the formalities, it was a point that extended U Mumba's lead and altered the final scoreboard, which read 36-30 in favor of the Mumbai outfit at the end of play.
As successful as Anup was in his playing days, coaching has not been as kind to him. The legend of the game has just not been able to replicate his various strategies without taking charge on the mat. A master tactician by nature, Anup's ploys have often been found to be unsuccessful during his stint as Puneri Paltan's coach.
Now, whether the blame for this failure can be put on the coach's shoulders or Pune's inexperienced young side is a matter that differs from person to person. Despite assembling quite a formidable squad ahead of PKL 2021, the side got off to a poor start in the tournament.
In an ideal scenario, Pune would not have missed the services of Nitin Tomar due to injury, one that recurs season after season. Nonetheless, their comeback was stronger than their setback. The comeback was credited to Anup Kumar, who inspired the young side to rise and perform above expectations.
Pune ended up qualifying for the playoffs and despite not making it past the Eliminator, fans and experts lauded the faith that Anup had shown in his young team.
Dropping the likes of Rahul Chaudhari, Baldev Singh, Sombir and occasionally even Vishal Bharadwaj was a brave call that the head coach took. Anup Kumar, the coach, has often trusted his youngsters more than the veterans - a move that has its fair share of benefits and criticisms.
While it has unearthed and promoted new talent, it has come at the cost of losing out on some crucial moments due to inexperience.
Anup Kumar's coaching style could suit U Mumba
In the eighth edition of the Pro Kabaddi League, Anup Kumar worked well with the young raiding duo of Aslam Inamdar and Mohit Goyat.
A similar combination also existed at U Mumba, with V Ajith Kumar and Abhishek Singh doing the bulk of the scoring for the side - so much so that U Mumba often went in with five defenders along with the raiding pair.
With Anup enjoying nurturing and grooming youngsters while also adding some valuable inputs to improve the veterans' gameplay, U Mumba need not look further than their former skipper to hand over the coaching role to.
Having Anup Kumar at the helm will also ensure U Mumba have a much better auction after a string of poor ones. Anup could also revitalize Fazel Atrachali, who was a mere shadow of himself as he stayed away from tackles in a bid to stay on the mat for a longer duration.
Perhaps some experience, even off the mat, would allow Fazel to play his natural game in the middle. With Puneri Paltan signing BC Ramesh as their new head coach, one would imagine that Anup Kumar's services would be available for PKL 9.
Aside from his history with the side, what could also work in favor of the Arjuna awardee is the fact that he has immense support from the team's fans.
U Mumba's official fan page, U Mumba Mandali, recently ran a poll on their Instagram page, asking fans to submit the names of whom they would like to see as the head coach for the upcoming season. The results, as one can fairly reckon, were overwhelmingly in favor of Anup Kumar.
सब्र का फल मीठा होता है 😉
#UMumba | #MeMumba | #Mumboys | #WeAreMumbai | #WeAreMumba https://t.co/IbOi6mp5VB
With the backing of fans and a coaching style that could suit U Mumba, aside from his long friendship with U Mumba skipper Fazel Atrachali, Anup Kumar would, in all likeliness, be one of the top contenders for the role of head coach.
Although it remains to be seen whether the hopes of thousands of U Mumba fans will come to fruition, Anup Kumar could certainly revolutionize the way the Mumbai franchise goes about their business and guide them to their second title.