Mumbai leg to kick-off with the first Maharashtra Derby of Season 7

VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 7's Mumbai leg gets underway on Saturday with U Mumba and Puneri Paltan battling each other in the highly anticipated Maharashtra Derby at the Dome@NSCI SVP Stadium. The match will also see Puneri Paltan coach Anup Kumar lead his team out against U Mumba - a side with which he spent five seasons as a player and won the VIVO Pro Kabaddi title back in Season 2.

Match 12: U Mumba vs Puneri Paltan

Head-to-head: U Mumba 8 – 5 Puneri Paltan. 1 Tie.

U Mumba

Form guide:

Played: 2

Won: 1

Tied: 0

Lost: 1

Win rate: 50%

Best Raider: Abhishek Singh

Best Defender: Fazel Atrachali

With a win and a loss in their kitty from the first two matches, U Mumba will look to make full use of their home leg, starting with a win against Puneri Paltan on Saturday. Abhishek Singh has been the star man for U Mumba in the raiding department, racking up 17 raid points in two outings, including a Super 10 against Telugu Titans. South Korean Dong Geon Lee gave a good account of himself in U Mumba's last match against Jaipur Pink Panthers and will be eager to establish himself as a strong support to Abhishek as the season progresses. In defence, ‘Sultan’ Fazel Atrachali has been the side’s best defender with six tackle points from two matches but will be looking to up his game even further with the home support in Mumbai cheering the team on.

Puneri Paltan

Form guide:

Played: 1

Won: 0

Tied: 0

Lost: 1

Best Raider: Pawan Kumar Kadian

Best Defender: Shubham Shinde

Puneri Paltan came up short against Haryana Steelers in their opening match of VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 7 but will be looking to redeem themselves with a victory over U Mumba on Saturday. Raider Pawan Kadian put on a solid display in the last match, scoring a Super 10 and in defence, Shubham Shinde was impressive against Haryana Steelers. Puneri Paltan fans will hope the likes of Girish Maruti Ernak and Surjeet Singh can hit their stride against U Mumba on Saturday. The match will also mark a special occasion for Puneri Paltan coach Anup Kumar, who started his VIVO Pro Kabaddi career with U Mumba and spent five seasons with the team. Anup will be hoping to get his first-ever victory as a coach against the team he led to a title in Season 2.