Pro Kabaddi Season 4 - Team of the Patna Leg: Better late than never for Anup Kumar and U Mumba
Patna Pirates’ winning run came to an end in the fourth leg of the Pro Kabaddi Season 4. The hosts started off well with 2 wins to make it 5 in 5 in the fourth edition before they were brought crashing back to Earth with back to back losses.
Bengaluru Bulls and Bengal Warriors lost both their games at the Patliputra Sports Complex while U Mumba continued their revival with a close win against the Bulls. In a leg which saw plenty of surprise results, there were quite a few individual performances that made the crowd sit up and take notice.
Let’s take a look at the best 7 from the Patna Leg who form the team of the leg:
Anup Kumar (U Mumba) – Raider
Season 1 MVP and the captain of the Indian national team finally came into his own in Patna with an 11-point haul. Against the Bengaluru Bulls, Anup Kumar scored nearly half of his team’s points as the Season 2 winners overturned an 11-18 deficit in 13 minutes to win 24-23. With 9 raid points and 2 tackle points, the 32-year-old ensured U Mumba returned to winning ways against the big-spending Bengaluru Bulls.
Nitin Madane (Bengal Warriors) – Raider
Despite his team - Bengal Warriors - losing both their matches, Nitin Madane makes it into the team of the leg thanks to his 19-point return. He scored 7 points in a 21-35 loss against the home team while amassing 12 points vs Puneri Paltan. In spite of his best efforts, the Warriors lie at the bottom of the table with just 8 points from 7 matches.
Sachin Shingade (Dabang Delhi) – Left Cover
With 4 tackle points vs Patna Pirates, Sachin Shingade ensured Dabang Delhi grabbed the headlines by pulling off the shock of the tournament so far. The former Puneri Paltan star, however, saved his best for Telugu Titans, against whom he managed to score 6 points in defense. With 1 win in 2 matches in Patna, the Eagles moved 7 points clear off the bottom spot.
Sandeep Dhull (Telugu Titans) – Left Corner
Sandeep Dhull has filled in the massive hole left by outgoing defender Dharmaraj Cheralathan in the Telugu Titans squad. In their only match in Patna, Telugu Titans beat Dabang Delhi 28-23 and it was largely due to the efforts of this 20-year-old. Against his former team, Dhull scored 6 tackle points to help the Titans move within 1 point of 5th-placed Bengaluru Bulls.
Dharmaraj Cheralathan (Patna Pirates) – Right Corner
Patna Pirates captain Dharmaraj Cheralathan may have been unable to prevent his team losing their first and second matches this season, but he ensured his team ended the leg at the top of the table. The oldest player in the tournament scored a season-high 9 tackle points against the Warriors.
He also mustered a record 4 super tackles as his team hammered the bottom-placed team 35-21. Despite scoring just 2 points in the other 3 matches, the 42-year-old’s exploits against the Warriors were the highlight of the leg.
Shabeer Bapu (Jaipur Pink Panthers) – Right Cover
Despite being raider primarily, Shabeer Bappu showed that he is no pushover when it comes to defence, as Patna Pirates witnessed close hand. He shined, particularly, when the odds were against his team, which can be exemplified from his 3 super tackles.
The former U Mumba star amassed 6 points in defense while scoring a solitary raid point against the Pirates to lead the Pink Panthers to 3rd spot in the table at the halfway stage in the season.
Manjeet Chhillar (Puneri Paltan) – All Rounder
Manjeet Chhillar, once again, proved why he is considered as the best all-rounder in the world. In Puneri Paltan’s only match in Patna, the 29-year-old led his team to a 38-31 win over Bengal Warriors. With 4 raid points and 7 in defense, the Paltan captain led from the front and helped his team stay within touching distance of top spot after 4 legs.