Pro Kabaddi League Season 5: 5 players from U Mumba who can get the team their second title
If one removes the season IV of the Pro Kabaddi League, there is no doubt which team will take away the title of the 'Lords of the League'. While they have only one title to show against their name, U Mumba have clearly bossed the league and despite an uncharacteristically poor fourth season, where they finished fifth in the league standings, they still enjoy the highest number as well as percentage of wins in the tournament's history.
To put it into perspective, U Mumba have played two matches less than Patna Pirates, the team on a roll over the last two seasons, but still have four more wins than them. That's how consistent they have been as a unit, a fact that is corroborated by two runners up finishes and one winner's title.
After a dismal show in season IV, the team went all out on beefing their raiding department in the auctions. Maharashtra boy Kashiling Adake was brought in while Shabeer Bapu, who turned out for the Jaipur Pink Panthers last season, was brought back.
Even Nitin Madane was roped in to make sure the team's raiding reserves never go empty. By bringing in Hadi Oshtorak in the defence, the team more or less ticked all the boxes when it came to building a team right in the auctions.
With the leadership of one of the best captains and a raiding department this good, it seems that all that U Mumba needs to do is to turn up. However, with four new challengers for the trophy and higher number of matches, this season is going to be different from the previous four and short spells of brilliance won't help the teams if they can't keep the foot on the pedal all the time.
These five players will be key for U Mumba in the fifth season if the team is to live up to the expectations of their fans.
#1 Anup Kumar
As impossible it is to write about U Mumba without thinking about Chennai Superkings, it is equally difficult to not think of MS Dhoni when talking of the U Mumba skipper Anup Kumar. His broad shoulders have done an exceptional job at carrying the U Mumba team through the four seasons and it came as no surprise that the management chose to go with him even for the fifth season despite two factors against it - the last season was forgettable for the team and his age isn't exactly decreasing.
A cursory glance at the team's statistics gives you an idea about the efficacy of Kumar's leadership. He has overseen the development of many a youngsters in the U Mumba setup and brought their best game out of them.
Even as a raider, Anup Kumar is as good as anyone in the league and has won many matches on his own. His consistency and unflappable temperament are what makes him stand out in a tribe that is full of men who are prone to blowing hot and cold. With the addition of Shabeer Bapu to the raiding department, Anup can be expected to be even more dangerous this season.