U Mumba secured a thrilling 39-37 victory over Jaipur Pink Panthers in their PKL 11 encounter at the GMCB Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday, October 31. Following the impressive win, head coach Gholamreza Mazandarani highlighted his team’s strategic approach during the post-match press conference.

“I maintain a positive attitude regardless of outcomes, not just when winning. For this match, we had a specific strategy to maximize our margin. While our defense performed well, we made some minor errors that can be corrected. Overall, I’m pleased with the talent displayed,” said Mazandarani, praising his team’s tactical execution while also acknowledging areas for improvement.

The Iranian coach’s faith in his young squad was evident as Ajit Chouhan led the scoring charts with 14 points. “We ensure every player gets opportunities during practice. We have some very young players, and when they perform well, they earn more chances to play,” Mazandarani noted.

Captain Sunil Kumar echoed the coach’s sentiments, detailing the team’s defensive masterclass. “We had a great start with defense – Rinku secured three tackle points at the beginning. Sombir and Parvesh didn’t make mistakes,” he said, adding that Rohit Raghav’s Super Raid proved crucial in securing the win.

The victory saw notable contributions from Rinku and Amirmohammad Zafardanesh, who added 4 points each, while Jaipur’s Neeraj Narwal scored 12 points in a losing cause.

Looking ahead to their ‘Maha Maharashtra ‘ derby against Puneri Paltan, Mazandarani remained measured in his approach: “We treat all matches with equal importance – there are no easy games. While Puneri has a strong, young team with a good track record over the past couple of seasons, we’re also a capable team and will compete hard.”

Preview for Matches on November 3:

The Haryana Steelers and Bengal Warriorz will kick off Super Sunday as the former will ride on the recent form of Mohammadreza Shadloui. The Bengal Warriorz, who have secured hard-fought draws in their last two matches, will hope to translate those draws into wins to add to their solitary victory this season.

Meanwhile, Puneri Paltan and U Mumba will lock horns in the second game of the day in what can be dubbed the ‘Maha Maharashtra Derby.’ Puneri Paltan – the defending champions – will hope to continue their impressive form but will be wary of young guns like Ajit Chouhan and Rohit Raghav, who were key to U Mumba’s win against Jaipur Pink Panthers in their previous game.

Please find below the schedule for PKL Season 11 match on Sunday, November 3:    

Match 1 – Bengal Warriorz vs Haryana Steelers – 8pm Match 2 –Puneri Paltan vs U Mumba – 9 pm