Will Shadloui Repeat His Mistake? U Mumba Skipper Sunil Warns

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- U Mumba's significant win boosts their confidence.
- Coach Anil Chaprana emphasizes the importance of motivation and teamwork.
- Sunil Kumar warns of past mistakes by Shadloui.
- The focus shifts from individual rivalries to team dynamics.
- The upcoming match against Gujarat Giants holds great significance for both teams.
Chennai, Oct 2 (NationPress) U Mumba kicked off their Chennai leg with a dominant 42-24 victory against the local team, Tamil Thalaivas, at the SDAT Multi-Purpose Indoor Stadium. This win marked a return to form for the season 2 champions, who had endured three straight losses, allowing them to climb to sixth place in the points standings.
Discussing the win, U Mumba's head coach, Anil Chaprana, remarked, “After experiencing three losses, it was crucial to uplift the players’ spirits. I am confident in their abilities. If we focus on our strengths, we can overcome any opponent. As the coach, it's essential to inspire them and empower them to play their game. During practice, they identified their errors and worked diligently to improve, which reflected in today’s performance.”
Sandeep Kumar achieved his Super 10 milestone, while Sunil Kumar secured a High Five, leading his team to triumph. With the league entering Revenge Week, all eyes are set on U Mumba and Gujarat Giants as they gear up for their forthcoming clash on Thursday.
In their previous encounter, U Mumba edged out a thrilling tie-breaker (6-5) after a 29-29 stalemate in regulation time. Reflecting on that match, Sunil shared, “It was our opening match of the league, and it was highly competitive. We triumphed in the tiebreaker due to a mistake by Shadloui. Both teams performed well, which led to the tiebreaker.”
“That was indeed Shadloui’s error. I doubt he will repeat it in our next match. I attempted to score him one point, but he aimed for two or three and ended up in a bind. Nevertheless, if he repeats his mistake, we will confront him,” he cautioned.
The rivalry between Sunil Kumar and Mohammadreza Shadloui is sure to draw attention in this matchup. However, U Mumba's captain downplayed the personal rivalry, emphasizing that kabaddi is fundamentally a team sport.
“I don’t see it as a showdown between Shadloui and myself. That was the narrative in the last match, but that's behind us. Now, it’s Gujarat Giants versus U Mumba. This is not an individual endeavor; it’s a team sport. The team that minimizes errors and performs better will emerge victorious.”
“Shadloui will be aiming for victory, and so will we. If he seeks revenge, we have no issue with that. If we replicate today’s performance, success will be ours,” Sunil concluded.
Below is a preview for the PKL Season 12 matches scheduled for Thursday, October 2:
With four victories in their last five matches, Puneri Paltan will seek to maintain that momentum as they vie for a top-two spot. They face a tough challenge against Bengaluru Bulls, who are determined to rebound after their tie-breaker defeat to UP Yoddhas.
In the second game, Gujarat Giants will take on U Mumba, with the focus on Revenge Week in the PKL. While the spotlight will be on Mohammadreza Shadloui and Sunil Kumar, both teams are eager to secure consecutive wins to improve their standings on the points table.