#5 Mumbai Gladiators
The Mumbai team was one of the few teams that could muster a win against the eventual champions Pune Marathas, beating them 13-6 in a round-robin clash.
They scored 67 points overall and conceded 45; their defense was the second best in the tournament after the Marathas, conceding just 7.5 points per game on average.
Their strapping Offensive Guard Preetesh Balyaya was the star campaigner for the Mumbai outfit. Balyaya came into the first season of EFLI boasting an impressive resume – he is a multi-sport champion in judo, weightlifting and sumo wrestling.
He received the Outstanding Offensive Linesman award for the first season. His game has been compared to that of Michael Oher.
Fixtures:
Week 1 – July 25, Colombo vs Mumbai – Colombo won 12-7
Week 2 – July 30, Mumbai vs Pakistan – Mumbai won 14-12
Week 3 – August 2, Mumbai vs Kandy – Kandy won 11-3
Week 4 – August 5, Mumbai vs Kolkata – not played
Week 5 – August 9, Mumbai vs Pune – Mumbai won 13-6
Week 6 – August 12, Mumbai vs Bangalore – Bangalore won 16-0
Week 7 – August 15, Mumbai vs Delhi – Delhi won 12-7