Pro Kabaddi 2019, Telugu Titans v U Mumba: "The first match of the season is always difficult," says star defender Fazel Atrachali

Pro Kabaddi 2019 commenced on 20th July at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium with the opening clash of the season between season 2 champions U Mumba and hosts Telugu Titans.

The second match of the day featured the three-times champions Patna Pirates who took to the mat against the defending champions, Bengaluru Bulls as the latter won the thrilling contest by a 34-32 margin.

The crowd at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad, roared and cheered for their home side, with PKL 6 star raider Siddharth Desai making his debut for the Telugu Titans. However, the Titans, despite the home advantage, were unable to get over the challlenge posed by U Mumba.

On a night when U Mumba's both offense and defense worked efficiently, they successfully crushed the Telugu Titans and won the game with a lead of five points. U Mumba's defense unit's biggest success was in keeping Siddharth Desai from scoring till the 33rd minute, which went a long way in handing them a big win.

Captain Fazel Atrachali and seasoned all-rounder Sandeep Narwal both scored four points each and helped their team keep a hold on their lead. Ace raider Abhishek Singh impressed everyone with his effortless raiding tactics and scored his first Super 10 of this season for U Mumba.

On the back of a fine win, skipper Fazel Atrachali and coach Sanjeev were satisfied by the way U Mumba executed their plans. When asked about the thoughts behind the performance, the coach put it down to an all-round effort.

"Both teams did a laudable job but we won the match because our team put up an all-round performance. Fazel, Sandeep, and Abhishek were commendable tonight and we won the match because everything worked out pretty well for U Mumba."

Stopping Siddharth 'Bahubali' Desai from scoring was no less than a feat, given his mind-blowing stats of season 6. Fazel Atrachali emphasised on the fact that the team had a special strategy planned out to keep Desai at bay.

"The plan we had in mind to keep Siddharth off the mat was executed well. Our only strategy was to keep him from scoring and that's what happened, as it was seen during the match."

When quizzed about Abhishek Singh's performance, Fazel did not blink twice as he lauded the youngster's efforts and said "We have Abhishek as our new star. Not only Abhishek, the team also boasts of the likes of Arjun Deshwal and Athul M.S and Dong Geon Lee. It's not just about one player. Kabaddi is a team game and one can only win if the team plays in unity."

Around the end of the match, the Titans almost inflicted an all-out on U Mumba. Fazel handed out a calm reply on the lines of how they dodged the all-out.

"The first match of the season is always a difficult one since you don't know about the strengths and the weaknesses of any particular team. However, it was a good experience for us."

Even though the Titans were the hot favorites as they were playing at home, Fazel stepped on the mat with a confident attitude and at the end of the game, the ace defender shed light on the fact that he loved the challenge that came his way.

"It gives me energy when fans support the other team. I love challenges and hence all the cheering gives me a lot of confidence and helps me exhibit my skill"

Follow Sportskeeda to get the 2019 Pro Kabaddi Schedule, PKL Results, PKL Stats, 2019 PKL Points Table and Latest News and Updates.