Mumbai, Feb 12 (IANS) With 74 victories to his name as a skipper, Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) franchise U Mumba’s Sunil Kumar is the most successful captain in the league and has made a legacy for himself in the event.
As of Season 11, Sunil Kumar has collected more victories than any other player in PKL history.
Sunil’s crowning moment came in a 43-29 win over Puneri Paltan at the Balewadi Sports Complex, Pune, when he surpassed Fazel Atrachali’s mark. Moreover, the India international defender enjoyed a productive debut season with U Mumba, playing 23 matches, attempting 110 tackles, 73 raids, and amassing 54 points for his team.
Reflecting on his achievements on Beyond the Mat, a new podcast initiated by U Mumba, Sunil Kumar shared, “I feel good when someone says ‘most successful captain’. There were big players before like Anup Kumar, Ajay Thakur, Fazel Atrachali—it feels good that I’ve left them behind and become the most successful captain of PKL.”
Sunil’s Kabaddi journey began in 2010 when he was just an eighth grader. With encouragement from his elder brother and a strong sporting culture in his village, he pursued the sport even when it lacked mainstream appeal. Sunil made his PKL debut in 2016 before breaking into the limelight the season after. He won his first league title in 2019 and another as captain in 2022.
In his nine seasons in PKL, Sunil has played 160 matches, earned 399 points, attempted 273 total raids, and completed 741 total tackles.
A critical part of his success has been his partnership with childhood friend Parvesh Bhainswal, whom Sunil reunited with at U Mumba ahead of Season 11. Their chemistry on the mat is incredible, formed by years of playing together.
Speaking about this unparalleled bonding, Sunil said, “I knew Parvesh before kabaddi, he is my childhood friend. We started playing kabaddi together in childhood and we played in various tournaments. Back then, only four or five people were playing, and that’s when we decided that we would always play together. When I hold his hand, I feel like I can tackle anyone. It is all thanks to our coach who has shown trust in us and made our combination very strong”.
In 2022, Sunil was named captain of the Indian team for the Asian Kabaddi Championship. Though an unforeseen setback prevented him from playing, he rebounded by winning gold at the Asian Games—a triumph he considers one of his proudest moments.
“I was made captain of Team India for the Asian Championships but couldn’t participate due to visa issues. But, the Asian Games followed, I got selected again, this time as a vice-captain, and we won the gold medal!” he shared in the podcast.
In other snippets, Sunil revealed his love for wrestling and admiration for Olympian wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt. He also admitted that had he not been a kabaddi player, he would have been either a farmer or an army man.
–IANS
bsk/
