Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: Bengaluru Bulls' horrific ordeal through the Mumbai rain
On Tuesday, the Bengaluru Bulls looked to get their Pro Kabaddi League Season 5 campaign back on track as got ready to face off against the UP Yoddha in a crunch Zone B encounter. The players were set for a tough task on the mat but due to some extraordinary circumstances, they had to undergo a totally different kind of ordeal - something they would never have thought of in their wildest imaginations.
With the Mumbai leg of the new season underway, the city was struck by heavy rainfall - the heaviest since 2005 and it brought the entire city to a standstill. Due to waterlogging, the local train operations were stopped and the whole of Mumbai saw massive traffic jams, as rainwater entered buildings and homes.
The Bulls' match was scheduled to start on 8 pm and they left their hotel at 4 pm. Under normal circumstances, they would have easily reached in time for their warm-ups and pre-match routines. But Mother Nature had other ideas, as they were unable to make it to the stadium in time and were forced to sit inside the bus for nearly four hours.
The action for the day was called off and matches were postponed for a later date but another huge question started the team - how do we get back? They sat on the bus, hoping for the weather and traffic to ease up a bit but unfortunately, it was to no avail. In the end though, as it was getting late, the team undertook a drastic step and opted to return to the hotel on foot in the pouring rain.
Led by coach Randhir Singh, they marched all the way back to the hotel in the rain and in the middle of the night. It took them nearly two-and-a-half hours to return safely and must have surely been an exhausting experience for the Bulls, as they now get set to fly to Kolkata for the next leg of the competition.
Also read: Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: One month down, five teams who look favourites to win the title