U Mumba's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Suhail Chandhok stated the 2015 Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) champions are looking for an encore a decade after they clinched their only title.
Chandhok felt the team had identified areas to focus and work on ahead of the PKL Season 12, that starts on August 29 in Jaipur.
"We identified those gaps and addressed those issues in a very sharp manner. We've added a lot of might to our team. We've got Sandeep who is back, Anil is back, so is Satish. Zafar Danish, who has been with us its incredible, a defender and a raider, true all rounder."
"We just have a very, very good unit that has gotten along so well. We've done the longest camp that has ever been done in Pro Kabaddi League history. It's allowed the boys to get together and feel like a family. It's a team that is a melting pot of cultures. Players from Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu etc coming together and forming one unit," Chandhok added at the official U Mumba jersey unveiling ceremony on Friday.
When U Mumba take the mat in Season 12 of the Pro Kabaddi League on August 30, they will do so wearing a special jersey paying tribute to their iconic 2015 championship triumph.
Launched today to mark the 10-year anniversary of that maiden title, the jersey symbolises one of the league’s most dominant campaigns while also heralding a new era of fitness-driven preparation.
To commemorate this milestone, U Mumba unveiled a Season 12 jersey inspired by the iconic Season 2 championship kit. The design stays true to the team’s orange-and-black identity while weaving in modern elements, including a nod to Mumbai’s Airport, symbolising a bridge between past triumphs and future ambitions. Alongside the tribute, the franchise signalled its forward drive, investing in a fierce new fitness push through an intensive 50-day pre-season camp to prepare the team for the upcoming campaign, the longest in the team's history.
That camp, led by strength and conditioning coach Pratiek Ninawe–a former international sprinter uniquely bringing sprint mechanics and explosive movement science into multiple sports–was built to turn raw strength into match-day impact. Players began with mobility and assessment work to fix individual gaps, before stepping up to strength drills that pushed them past the 110 kg squat mark, endurance sessions to build engine, and sprint work to sharpen agility and explosive power.
Sunil Kumar, Captain, U Mumba, said "Although I wasn’t part of the 2015 campaign, that victory led by Anup Kumar is etched in kabaddi history and remains a huge source of inspiration for us. Wearing a jersey that pays tribute to that triumph reminds us of the standards U Mumba has always set. As captain, my focus is on carrying forward that legacy with this new group combining the experience of our seniors with the energy of our youngsters, and chasing our second PKL title this season.”
Team Owner, Ronnie Screwvala said, “The Season 2 championship was a breakthrough. It validated the commercial and cultural potential of kabaddi at a national scale. For us at U Mumba, it underlined the importance of building professional structures, investing in people and approaching sport with the same rigour as any other business. It was one of the most memorable runs in the League's history and a decade later, that win still shapes our approach: sustainable growth, long-term value creation and leaving behind a legacy that goes beyond trophies.”
With a record 111 league-stage wins and three consecutive finals in their first three seasons, U Mumba’s legacy runs deeper than results. The franchise has been a factory for homegrown talent, many of whom have gone on to represent India, while also driving kabaddi’s rise across the country. Now, that tradition of shaping the sport extends to how the game is played physically, pioneering modern fitness methods rarely seen in kabaddi. By pairing its player development track record with cutting-edge conditioning, U Mumba is setting new standards for preparation and performance in the league.
