U Mumba reached their third consecutive final in the Pro Kabaddi League and will now look to defend their crown from Season 2. They will now face the young and energetic Patna Pirates in a summit clash that promises to be an unforgettable experience for kabaddi fans.
The Mumbai side entered the final thanks to a 41-29 win over the Bengal Warriors in the second semifinal at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. Rishank Devadiga was the man-of-the-match as he picked up 10 points from his raids while Captain Cool Anup Kumar scored six of his own in a fine team performance.
He spoke to the press after his side’s win against the Warriors and expressed his delight on reaching his third final in a row. While praising his team’s performance on the night and in the course of the campaign as well, he was also quick to play down his side’s chances in the final and said that his team will look to give their best.
Look forward to meeting Patna: Anup Kumar
Anup praised the Patna Pirates and said that he is looking forward to face them in the title-deciding clash. He said, "As we all know, Patna are a young and energetic side and have done well so far. There is a lot of pressure going into the final and I am sure the Patna players will be feeling it as well. It will be interesting to see how the youngsters in their team will deal with the stress and we will be looking to play on that.”
Defender Vishal Mane also interacted with the media and said that he is looking forward to the finals. “Our team is fully fit and we are an experienced bunch as it is our third final on the trot. We have that advantage going into the game and let’s see how it all unfolds on the mat tomorrow,” said the man from Maharashtra.
He was also questioned about how his team members communicate and coordinate with defender Fazel Atrachali, who hails from Iran. Mane said, “It is not an issue. We have our codewords while on the mat and Fazel understands them perfectly. He listens to us and we also listen to his advice while defending. Otherwise, we communicate in a mix of Hindi and English and have a great time with him.”
