U Mumba has been near unstoppable in Pro Kabaddi 6. It has won six out of the eight matches it has faced. Its only loss of the tournament came against the Puneri Paltan, the same side which held it to a tie as well this season.
There are several reasons for the success that U Mumba has experienced this year. Let us look past the obvious historic form of Siddharth Desai and focus on Fazal Atrachali. Mumbai’s leading defender was handed the captaincy and he has shouldered the extra responsibility with ease.
Fazal Atrachali has 33 tackle points to his name making him the second-best defender in the league. His matchup against Anup Kumar, former U Mumba captain, is going to be very interesting to watch.
Siddharth Desai is also expected to be back for this game. The rookie raider has set PKL alive with his form. He has a total of 97 points in just seven games. He is within touching distance of breaking the record for the least games needed to reach 100 points. We think he could add to his Super 10 tally in this game as well.
The Jaipur Pink Panthers will be pumped up for this match. It is the first time that Anup Kumar will be traveling back to Mumbai and facing U Mumba, the side that he led to three straight Grand Finals.
Anup Kumar has enough experience and skill to overcome the U Mumba defense. We also think that he will have the added motivation of proving his worth in Mumbai itself.
The Jaipur Pink Panthers won its last game against the Haryana Steelers thanks to a stellar display from Deepak Niwas Hooda. With 42 points, Hooda has been the most prolific scorer for the Jaipur Pink Panthers this season.
If the Jaipur Pink Panthers are to come close to matching the U Mumba offense then Hooda will need to have a great night.
There have been 13 matches played between the Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba. The record stands 7-5 in favor of U Mumba with the remaining game being a tie. There is not too much to choose between the two sides on the basis of their historical rivalry.
U Mumba is playing at home, something that has not really helped the home teams this year. We believe it is important to start the home leg strong and try to build momentum early on. The Jaipur Pink Panthers will be charged up for this encounter. They will desperately want this win for its captain and to get its campaign back on track.
We think, though, that U Mumba has enough skill to come through.
Back U Mumba to win.