PKL 12: U Mumba appoint Rakesh Kumar as new head coach

Rakesh Kumar has previously coached the Haryana Steelers.

Season two champions U Mumba have appointed Indian Kabaddi legend Rakesh Kumar as their new head coach for the upcoming season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL 12). The appointment answers a long-pending question of the PKL fans after the men in orange parted ways with Gholamreza Mazandarani, who led them to the playoffs after three seasons.

The announcement of Rakesh taking over the helm will leave all the U Mumba fans jubilant. The all-rounder has been a stalwart of the game and has tasted success during his two-decade association with it. This marks the legend’s return to U Mumba, having played for them in seasons three and four in PKL.

Also Read: PKL 12: List of new coaches announced so far

The Arjuna Awardee was the star attraction in the inaugural edition of the PKL, as he was the highest-bidded player, going for 12.6 Lakhs to Patna Pirates. Having led them for a couple of seasons, he moved to U Mumba in their bid to defend their title in season three. He joined along with then-India and U Mumba captain Anup Kumar and produced many memorable performances.

Kabaddi Legend Rakesh Kumar has been appointed as new head coach of U Mumba for PKL season 12 🔥#PKL | #PKL12 | #ProKabaddiLeague | #Kabaddi | #PKLSeason12 | #ProKabaddi | #UMumba pic.twitter.com/oTZd0tE4tj

— Khel Kabaddi (@KhelNowKabaddi) February 24, 2025

Also Read: List of coaches released ahead of PKL 12

He finished his PKL playing career on the mat with Telugu Titans in Season 5. The three-time Asian Games Gold medalist will be coaching a PKL team for the second time. His first attempt at coaching was with Haryana Steelers in season seven when he replaced his first PKL coach Rambir Singh Khokhar. He led them to playoffs in season seven and missed the opportunity by just 2 points in the next season.

More than the results, he discovered many quality players for the Haryana Steelers who contributed immensely to them. Vinay is one of his picks from the junior competitions. Rakesh supported him during season seven and gave him high ratings. Thanks to Rakesh’s conviction, Haryana held onto Vinay for five seasons and he helped them hold onto the PKL trophy in Season 11.

U Mumba management would be hoping for the same ahead of Season 12. Having built a reliable defensive fort under Captain Sunil Kumar, the team would want a strong Raiding unit. They had multiple stars in the last few seasons like Siddharth Desai, Abhishek Singh, Guman Singh, and Ajit Chouhan but none have been able to sustain the performances for more than two seasons. The Ronnie Screwvala-owned side would be hoping this from Rakesh in Season 12.

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