PKL 9: U Mumba full squad for new season

The former Pro Kabaddi League champions will eye a big campaign next season.

The Mumbai-based franchise has not been able to repeat the dominance it showed in the early seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL). After a heartbreaking loss to Jaipur Pink Panthers in season one, U Mumba came back strongly to beat Bengaluru Bulls in the season two finale. They made it to three consecutive PKL finals but tasted bitter defeat once again, losing to Patna Pirates. U Mumba have since qualified to the playoffs just twice in 2018 and 2019, but their inability to bring their a-game in the big games has cost them dearly.

The management let go of captain Fazel Atrachali along with star raiders Abhishek Singh and V Ajith Kumar, not using the FBM card with the hope of saving funds for Pawan Sehrawat at PKL 9 auction. After the bidding war went the Thalaivas’ way, U Mumba have decided to build a young team filled with talented players filled with potential that promises a high ceiling of performance. This is their squad composition for PKL season 9.

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Raiders

Ashish Narwal

The right raider began his PKL journey with the Patna Pirates in season 7, impressing whenever he got an opportunity to be on the mat. He posted six raid points from 16 raids. Ashish built on the promise he showed with an impressive season 8 for Haryana Steelers, managing 63 raid points from 102 raids and contributing to the tackles, nabbing 16 tackle points from 28 tackles with an 8% average successful assist rate. His final five appearances yielded 40 raid points and 8 tackle points. He was sold to U Mumba for 35.50 Lakhs.

Guman Singh

The former Patna Pirates star went to U Mumba for a whopping Rs 1.22 crores. The do-or-die raid specialist displayed his acumen in escaping chain tackles and mat awareness. In Season 8, he scored 95 points in 19 matches. He will be the lead raider and must fill in for Abhishek Singh. He can score big raid points consistently and has four super 10s.

Jai Bhagwan

The left-right raider from Rajasthan has been the lead presence during the nationals. He will fit right into the U Mumba raiding unit and will add another dimension.

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Heidarali Ekrami

The raider was sold for 24 Lakhs on Day 2 and could become a key part of U Mumba’s rebuild.

Ankush

The former UP Yoddha player has only made a handful of appearances in the PKL, showing glimpses of his capabilities. He can double up as an all-rounder and was sold for 10 Lakh.

Kamlesh

The raider was retained by U Mumba as an Existing New Young Player for 6.60 Lakhs.

Shivam

Shivam was retained by U Mumba as an Existing New Young Player. Comfortable raiding from both sides, the raider played 14 matches last season and earned 32 raid points.

Pranay Vinay Rane

The player was retained prior to the auctions as a Franchisee Nominated New Young Player.

Sachin

The player was retained prior to the auctions as a Franchisee Nominated New Young Player.

Rupesh

The raider from Bihar was retained prior to the auctions as a Franchisee Nominated New Young Player.

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Defenders

Surinder Singh

The feisty right cover returns to U Mumba after spending a season at the Telugu Titans and will aim to rediscover his form in orange and black. He was sold for 35.50 Lakhs, despite a relatively poor season numbers-wise for the Titans where he won 31 tackle points. He peaked during PKL season 6 and season 7 with U Mumba, earning 66 and 56 tackle points respectively.

Rinku

Rinku Hari was one of the shining lights in U Mumba’s otherwise dull season 8. The right corner nabbed 60 tackle points from 22 matches with a 53% strike rate, justifying his high price tag of 32 Lakhs during last season’s auctions. He was retained for PKL season 9 as an Elite Retained Player.

Shivansh Thakur

The youngster will represent his home team after being retained as a Franchisee Nominated New Young Player.

Rahul Sethpal

The versatile defender debuted last season for U Mumba, scoring 34 tackle points from 18 matches. He will look to build on those returns this year, hopefully breaching the 50-tackle point mark.

Prince

The right cover was retained as an Existing New Young Player and will look to play a crucial part in the club’s success.

Kiran Laxman Magar

A relatively new name in Kabaddi circles, the defender was sold for a substantial amount of 31 Lakh.

Harendra Kumar

The left cover remains a part of U Mumba after the team used an FBM card at PKL 9 auction to retain his services for the third straight season for 20 Lakh. He mustered 30 tackle points from 73 tackles in season 8.

Satyawan

The defender turned out for South-eastern Railways and was a steady presence in defence.

All-Rounders

Gholamabbas Korouki

The Iran national team player is primarily a raider and can be a good utility player for U Mumba.

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