Pro Kabaddi: Defending champs U Mumba trounce Bengal to enter final

Starting Seven:

Defending champions U Mumba had entered the semi-final after finishing the league stage on top of the table, while Bengal Warriors finished fourth to earn their place in the last four. With a 6-0 head-to-head record against Bengal Warriors, U Mumba went into the match as the favourites.

Although Bengal Warriors put in a spirited effort, U Mumba upped the game after the fifth minute and added seven points in a row by enforcing an all-out on Bengal Warriors. Rishank Devadiga caused the maximum damage to Bengal Warriors in the first ten minutes scoring three points in a raid by crossing the line after touching Nilesh Shinde, Bajirao Hodage and Deepa Kumar.

(Read about Patna Pirates' brilliant victory over Puneri Paltan in the first semi-final)

The second half followed a similar story as the first with Anup Kumar and Rishank Devadiga earning raid points to send Bengal Warriors’ players back to the bench. Shyam Kumar Sah, who arrived as a second-half substitute, was the last man for the Bengal Warriors before they suffered the third all-out and Mohit Chillar completed it by pushing Shyam Kumar Shah out of the mat to put his team in a 23-point lead.

Bengal Warriors showed some fight back in the last ten minutes by sending back U Mumba raiders Anup Kumar, Rishank Devadiga and Shabber Bappu in quick succession. Bengal also managed an all-out on the defending champions to close down the gap as U Mumba got complacent after earning an enormous 23-point lead. But it was too little too late as Mumbai held on to finish the game and entered their third sucessive final of the Pro Kabaddi.