Kabaddi
PKL 2021 - U Mumba - Preview, Squad, Expected 7, Complete Schedule
Unlike the previous seasons, UMumba does not have star power in their squad this season.
U Mumba captain Fazel Atrachali and vice-captain Abhishek Singh (Source: PKL)
U Mumba always starts their Pro Kabaddi campaign as serious title contenders. But the circumstances are a bit different ahead of season eight. It will be a challenging task for Rajaguru Subramanian and his Mumboys to stand up to the expectations of Mumba Mandali.
U Mumba has a legacy of having heavy star power in the squad. We have seen many prolific names wearing U Mumba's orange black colours in past, however, interestingly U Mumba has opted for a roster consisting of a lot of underdogs this time around.
The comeback of Rajaguru Subramanian
The 34-year-old Rajaguru Subramanian will be sitting in the coach's corner. He will be replacing Sanjiv Kumar Baliyan who joined arch-rivals Jaipur Pink Panthers. Rajaguru's leadership and mentorship glimpse during his tenure as a player earned him trust from the board.
Rajaguru joined the club of Anup Kumar, Rakesh Kumar and Manpreet Singh as the latest player turned coach of Pro Kabaddi. Overall a great exposure for all young U Mumba players to train under a veteran who holds vast experience in Pro Kabaddi League.
U Mumba's auction strategy was controversial and faced a huge backlash from fans as they let go of big names who were an integral part of this franchise. Their auction approach was heavily criticised as replacements of star players like Sandeep Narwal and Surinder Singh failed to excite fans.
Iranian Sultan at the back
Fazel Atrachali is widely regarded as the foreign Pro Kabaddi defender of all time. U Mumba's defensive helm will be heavily dependent on this star corner defender. Promising left cover Harendra Kumar will be accompanied by Sunil Siddhagawli who was part of Jaipur's defensive unit for a long time. Although an established right corner defender might be proven as the missing piece of this defensive puzzle.
Uttar Pradesh's Abhishek Singh emerged as a prominent raider last season. He will be acting as vice-captain and raiding commander of the U Mumba side. V Ajith Kumar joined the orange banner after a wonderful debut season with home side Tamil Thalaivas. Ajith scored 144 raid points in 24 appearances as the debutant in season seven.
U Mumba bolstered their squad with versatile all-rounders who strengthen the roster. Mohsen Mghsoudlou, Ajinkya Kapre and Ashish Sangwan hold the ability to change their role according to the situation. These versatile all rounders will play a key role to ensure the results in U Mumba's way.
U Mumba's bold move to field an underdog squad creates a golden opportunity for young guns. It will be a tough task for Rajaguru Subramanian and his general Fazel Atrachali to advance them into playoffs.
U Mumba expected Starting 7:
Abhishek Singh (Raider)
V Ajith Kumar (Raider)
Ajinkya Kapre (All-Rounder)
Mohsen Mghsoudlou (All-Rounder)
Harendra Kumar (Left Cover)
Sunil Siddhagawli (Right Cover)
Fazel Atrachali (Left Corner)
Announced fixtures:
Bengaluru Bulls, 22 December 2021
Dabang Delhi KC, 24 December 2021
Tamil Thalaivas, 27 December 2021
Jaipur Pink Panthers, 30 December 2021
UP Yoddha, 1 January 2022
Haryana Steelers, 4 January 2022
Telugu Titans, 8 January 2022
Patna Pirates, 11 January 2022
Puneri Paltan, 13 January 2022
Bengal Warriors, 15 January 2022
Gujarat Giants, 18 January 2022
Squad:
Raiders- Abhishek Singh, V Ajith Kumar, Jashandeep Singh, Navneet, Rahul Rana, Kamlesh, Shivam
Defenders- Fazel Atrachali, Harendra Kumar, Sunil Siddhagawli, Ajeet, Rinku, Prince, Baljinder Singh, Rahul
All Rounders- Mohsen Mghsoudlou, Ajinkya Kapre, Ashish Sangwan, Pankaj, Monu
