PKL 9: Probable Starting Seven of U Mumba

The addition of Guman Singh to the squad will be an asset for the raiding department.

The Season 2 Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) champions, U Mumba, are back with their best squad this time. They could not perform well in the previous edition, with just seven victories in 22 matches. They stood in 10th place, which was very surprising for a team like U Mumba. The franchise would try to turn the tables this time with their exact combination. Let’s take a look at the probable starting seven of the side:

Raiders – Guman Singh, Shivam Thakur, Ashish Narwal

U Mumba surprised everyone with their expensive purchase of Guman Singh for 1.22 crore. He will be under a lot of pressure as he is going to be their main raider this time. Last season, Guman donned a Patna Pirates jersey and scored 97 raid points. He was not the main raider for Patna, yet he showed some terrific character. His duties would be changed this time for his new franchise.

Ashish Narwal and Shivam Thakur will probably make it to the top seven and play as supporting raiders. Narwal has scored 68 raid points to date in his Kabaddi League career, while Shivam scored 37 points in 15 matches for U Mumba last season.

Defenders – Rinku Sharma, Surinder Singh, Harendra Kumar, Kiran

Rinku Sharma is a big name for them as he was retained by the franchise ahead of the PKL auction. He was the team’s most successful defender last season, with 60 tackle points in 22 matches. The champion player will get a new left-corner partner in the form of Kiran.

The decision not to retain Fazal Atrachali this time was a shocking one by the franchise. He now will play for Puneri Paltan in PKL 9. Kiran, on the other hand, will look to fill his shoes. The left corner player has to give his best to remind everyone that he was a good pick. Harendra and Surinder will be the two cover defenders for the team. While Harendra scored 31 points last season for the Mumbai-based team, Surinder was a part of the Tamil Thalaivas in the previous edition. He had a terrible time there and would look to overcome his poor form. Having played for U Mumba in the past, the experienced defender would not face many difficulties in regaining his form.

Here's a complete look at the probable seven for U Mumba

Raiders – Guman Singh, Shivam Thakur, Ashish Narwal

Defenders – Rinku Sharma, Surinder Singh, Harendra Kumar, Kiran