PKL 12: What will be U Mumba's starting 7 in Pro Kabaddi 2025?

A young raiding unit complements an experienced defence.

A team that set the league on fire early on but lost momentum thereafter, U Mumba finally qualified for the playoffs in the previous edition of the Pro Kabaddi League, for the first time since the seventh season of the league.

Their performance was full of ups and downs, but they eventually finished fifth in the points table with 71 points, having won 12 matches, lost 8, and drawn two. However, the season-two champions were eliminated in the Eliminator of PKL 11, where they lost 23-31 against Patna Pirates.

With a rich legacy and a huge fan base, the team must be itching to lay their hands on the trophy again. They have decided to give most of their players from last time another chance, as seen from their retention and auction strategy. However, they have also made several interesting calls at the auction table.

Here we take a look at the predicted starting 7 of the U Mumba for PKL 12.

Young and skilled raiders

U Mumba have a lot of depth in their raiding unit, posing a potential selection conundrum. What the team must avoid doing is chopping and changing, which can cause doubts in the players’ minds.

The raiding department will be led by Ajit Chouhan, who finished as the fourth-best raider last time in his debut season, with 185 raid points. He had a strong start to the tournament but experienced a stutter in the second half. This time, the youngster would like to perform even better.

Also Read: PKL 12: Top five best players of U Mumba in Pro Kabaddi 2025

It looks very likely that Aanil Mohan will make his PKL debut. He was the second-best raider in the Yuva Kabaddi Series (YKS) earlier this year and was rewarded with a hefty paycheque of Rs. 78 lakhs, which is the highest ever for a Category D player.

Now, it will be interesting to see if he can make an immediate impact in the world’s biggest Kabaddi league. For the position of third raider, there could be a toss-up between Amirmohammad Zafardanesh and Sandeep Kumar.

The former might get the nod due to his all-round ability. After a grand debut in PKL 10, where he stunned everyone with his quick feet, he struggled for form in the previous edition but was retained, which shows that the management trusts his immense potential.

Familiar defence

The biggest advantage for the defensive unit of the season two champions is familiarity, considering all four of them played together towards the end of the season.

Sunil Kumar had a decent season with 54 tackle points last season. Notably, the right cover had the most assists. What makes him complete is his tactical acumen, making him the most successful captain in the league’s history.

Lokesh Ghosliya is the other retained defender. He played some matches in the last phase of PKL 11. The left corner’s position is arguably the most crucial one on the mat, and Lokesh would have a huge role to play if U Mumba have to challenge for the title this season.

Right corner Rinku and left cover Parvesh Bhainswal put on under-par performances last time. However, their experience and skill sets are undisputed. Both of them bring back into the team using the Final Bid Match (FBM) Card. Both the veterans would be looking to repay the faith displayed by the think tank.

U Mumba’s predicted starting seven for PKL 12-

Raiders – Ajit Chouhan.

All Rounders– Aanil Mohan, Amirmohammad Zafardanesh.

Defenders – Rinku Sharma (Right Corner), Lokesh Ghosliya (Left Corner), Sunil Kumar (Right Cover), Parvesh Bhainswal (Left Cover).

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