U Mumba has gone through the group stages of the Pro Kabaddi League with absolute dominance. Siddharth Desai has taken this side and arguably the PKL to another level altogether. He is the best raider in the PKL by far and matches technique, speed, and aggression with brute strength.
This combination has allowed Siddharth Desai to reach 100 raid points in the shortest time ever, average over a Super-10 every game, and make match-winning contributions in most of the games. It will be interesting to see if U Mumba keeps playing Siddharth Desai like it has or will try to give him some rest before the Super Playoffs.
Abhishek Singh and Rohit Baliyan are very capable raiders as well so U Mumba is not going to be an easy side to beat even if Siddharth Desai is given a smaller role to play.
The defense for U Mumba has been spectacular. Led by the experienced Fazel Atrachali, U Mumba has been able to shut down opposing raids with clinical precision. In fact, the times that U Mumba has lost have been the times where Fazel Atrachali has been neutralized by the opposition.
Surender Singh has also come into this own and has led the side in recent tackles. Overall, though, no one has more tackle points than Fazel Atrachali in the entire Pro Kabaddi League.
The Bengal Warriors have absolutely everything to play for in this match and they need to come out firing. They have won three out of their last four matches and have been moving up the Zone B standings.
Winning against a team like U Mumba could give them the boost they need. For such a victory to happen, though, Maninder Singh needs to have a game to remember. He has been the raider on the Bengal Warriors side by far. He has reached 100 points for this PKL season and is the heart of the Bengal Warriors defense.
That is not to say that Maninder Singh has been at his best. His footwork is still not the best and sometimes he seems to be a bit tentative even when the side needs some points. Perhaps the lack of a good backup raider is weighing him down.
PO Surjeet Singh will be leading the defense. He leads an experienced defense that has the capability to stop U Mumba from running riot. The two corners are going to have to on their toes against Siddharth Desai and company but that is something they will have already planned for.
The recent form for both teams has been excellent. U Mumba has won its last three matches while the Bengal Warriors have won three out of their last four. U Mumba is one of the most successful sides of the Pro Kabaddi League and has an excellent record against the Bengal Warriors as well.
When U Mumba is in this form, you back them to win. It is a strategy that has paid dividends this season and we continue to ride that train.
Back U Mumba to win.