Pro Kabaddi 2021: Predicting the playing 7 for U Mumba
Former Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) winners U Mumba made it to the semifinals of the previous season, where they lost to eventual champions Bengal Warriors. The Mumbai-based franchise performed exceptionally well last season, registering 12 victories in 22 league matches.
However, the PKL team management decided to release some of their biggest match-winners from Season 7. U Mumba let go of their star all-rounder Sandeep Narwal along with rising star Arjun Deshwal and right-cover defender Surinder Singh.
Interestingly, U Mumba did not bid aggressively at the Pro Kabaddi 2021 auction. They returned from the auction with a purse of ₹63.30 lakh remaining, the highest among all franchises.
Unlike previous seasons, U Mumba do not have enough depth in their squad this season. On that note, here's a look at U Mumba's predicted playing seven for PKL 8.
Left Corner - Fazel Atrachali (U Mumba captain)
U Mumba skipper Fazel Atrachali will play in the left corner position like the previous season. The Iranian star performed brilliantly in PKL 7, scoring 82 tackle points and topping the defenders' leaderboard in the process.
U Mumba fans will hope that Atrachali continues his fine form in the upcoming Pro Kabaddi League season.
Left In - Abhishek Singh
Abhishek Singh was the most successful raider for U Mumba in PKL 7. He scored 162 raid points in 21 matches, registering 10 Super 10s.
Ahead of Pro Kabaddi 2021, U Mumba named Abhishek Singh as their new vice-captain. It will be interesting to see how the new vice-captain of U Mumba performs in the raiding unit this season.
Left Cover - Harendra Kumar
U Mumba retained their left-cover defender Harendra Kumar ahead of the Pro Kabaddi 2021 auction. Kumar made his PKL debut in 2019, scoring 20 tackle points, including one High 5.
The Mumbai-based franchise will expect Harendra to up his numbers and bring his 'A' game to the table in PKL 2021.
Center - V Ajith Kumar
Former Tamil Thalaivas star V Ajith Kumar was the most expensive raider signed by U Mumba at the Pro Kabaddi 2021 auction. Kumar scored 121 raid points in 19 matches for the Thalaivas in the previous edition of the PKL.
Ajith showed a lot of promise during the tournament, and it should not be a surprise if he finishes as one of the top raiders in Pro Kabaddi League 8.
Right Cover - Ashish Kumar
Former Bengaluru Bulls all-rounder Ashish Kumar Sangwan moved to U Mumba in the PKL 2021 Auction. Ashish has been a part of the PKL since the second season, but the all-rounder is yet to realize his true potential.
Ashish is likely to play in the right cover position for U Mumba this year. He will look to bring his experience to the fore and make an impact.
Right In - Ajinkya Kapre
All-rounder Ajinkya Kapre made his Pro Kabaddi League debut in Season 7 and aggregated 15 raid points from five matches. He registered his maiden Super 10 against Haryana Steelers.
Since U Mumba retained Kapre ahead of the PKL Auction 2021, he is likely to play more matches this season.
Right Corner - Rinku HC
Right corner taken quickly🔥
‘Hari’ up Mandali! Look who’s here! It’s Rinku Hari 😍
@U_Mumba successfully wins the bid for the defender & gets him for 32 lakhs!
U Mumba Mandali welcomes you 🧡
#vivoPKLPlayerAuction | #UMumba | #MandalAabhaariAahe | #MeMumba | #AuctionSpeak | https://t.co/PmcCdYz5a9
U Mumba's most expensive signing at the Pro Kabaddi 2021 auction was right-corner defender Rinku HC. The Mumbai-based franchise acquired his services for ₹32 lakh.
The rising star has not played in the PKL before. It will be interesting to see how he performs in his debut season for U Mumba.