Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: Five reasons why U Mumba can claim their second PKL title

Kabaddi has scaled new heights faster than any one would have ever suspected! India's homegrown sport is all set to embark on the biggest season in history with the fifth edition of the Pro Kabaddi League which will begin from the 28th of July.

With four new teams making inroads into the kabaddi fold in the likes of UP Yoddhas, Fortune Giants Gujarat, Tamil Thalaivas and Haryana Steelers, the season will be a long one this time around spanning for almost 90 days with the final encounter scheduled for play on the 28th of October.

Out of the 12 teams which will lock horns against each other for the coveted crown, one of them which stands out is the U Mumba side. One of the most consistent sides in PKL history, the team has had successful outings in the past, and will particularly aim to replicate the same.

In the first edition, U Mumba just fell short at the final hurdle when they lost to the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the final encounter but they took heart from their performance and staged a comeback in the second season to complete the unfinished business and laid their hands on the trophy.

The third season, they once again put up a great show to reach yet another final but succumbed to the might of the Patna Pirates. While Season 4 could be termed as a forgettable one for the champions, wherein they could not progress onto the playoffs.

However, with the new season, with renewed vigour and energy, U Mumba looks like a side that will pose a stiff challenge to the other teams in the fray, exuding confidence akin to a power-house! Sportskeeda thus list down five reasons why U Mumba can emerge as the winners of Season 5!

#1: Captain Cool: Anup Kumar

His records speak volumes of his ability, calibre and talent! Whether it is the Asian Games, South Asian Games, Kabaddi World Cup or the PKL crown, Anup has conquered it all in the capacity of a skipper who leads his side by example!

He is a player who thrives under pressure and possesses the skills to extract the best out of his squad in the dimmest of situations on the mat, not shying away from the challenge.

Moreover, his own raiding records are quite exceptional wherein he will lead the attacking charge for the team and look to increase his tally of 377 raid points from 57 matches.

Shabeer was a live wire on the mat for U Mumba in Season 2.

#2: A plethora of Category A raiders

The U Mumba think tank made some big buys at the player auctions which were held in May and in terms of raiders, they brought in some of the best in the business to assist Anup in the attack.

Shabeer Bapu who spent his first three seasons at U Mumba made a return to the side ahead of Season 5 and his swift touches and agility will be the key to the U Mumba scorecard. And if they're lucky he will guide them to the title just like he did with his exceptional performance through out Season 2 particularly in the final.

Kashiling Adake, another rampant raider in his own right, came into the Bombay side from Dabang Delhi and will look to impress his new franchise by building upon his tally of 380 raid points off just 52 matches.

Another local Maharashtra boy who will be seen in action will be Nitin Madane who has had quiet outing post the first season but nonetheless will be hoping to make a strong comeback given his 152 raid point from 25 matches in the tournament.

Kuldeep has earlier played for the Pink Panthers and the Patna Pirates.

#3: A well-oiled defensive unit

The defence of the U Mumba side will boast of experienced campaigners in the like of Joginder Narwal and D. Suresh Kumar. With a total of over 150 tackle points between the duo, the left corner and right cover positions respectively will be effectively manned for the side.

As for additional assistance, the services of all-rounder Kuldeep Singh and the Iranian import Hadi Oshtorak will come into the picture. Kuldeep was on the top of his game last edition and has a great sense of timing and precision when it comes to tackling as is evident with his 82 defence points from 39 matches.

Coach Bhaskaran has spent 31 years in the Indian Army.

#4: Coach Bhaskaran Edacherry

The 52-year old has had a long stint with the U Mumba side and has evidently been able to fetch the best possible results season after season. His 31 years of Army experience also comes in handy when he trains the young recruits ahead of what will be a long and challenging season.

He is one key cog in the machine when it comes to the franchises' success story and this was evident when he threw light on how he prepares the players when he was quoted as saying in a recent interview that, "We talk to the players and understand their state of mind. Then we spot the limitations and attempt to improve them. I can’t turn them into Spiderman after just one month. But we can definitely improve their limitations and reduce their errors."

The U Mumba team prior to a training session in Dehradun. Image credits: U Mumba Instagram

#5: Pre-season training at Dehradun

U Mumba had a training camp set up in a cricket academy at Dehradun with a special focus on improving player fitness to the best possible standards in light of the extended season.

The 20-day camp was particularly held to cope with the pressures of high-intensity matches, reduced recovery periods and the extensive travelling that the team will be exposed to in the fifth edition.

The main aim behind this according to Coach Bhaskaran was to train with the players in an area with relatively low oxygen which would help build up on their stamina, and thus have a positive relay effect when the squad took to mat training in the normal regions.