Star of the Day: Shabeer Bappu

Name: Shabeer Bappu

Team: U Mumba

Position: Raider

U Mumba showed their strength of character by winning 37-34 against U.P. Yoddha in the opening match of the Lucknow leg at the Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium on Friday. Mumbai trailed for the majority of the encounter but pulled ahead of the hosts in the closing stages to make it an unhappy homecoming for Lucknow.

Starring in U Mumba’s victory was the dangerous Shabeer Bappu, who was a constant threat for Lucknow’s defence all night, raiding successfully at will with minimal fuss. What makes his performance even more noteworthy is the fact that he returned from a heavy concussion he suffered in the last match to come to his team’s aid in the hour of need.  

Bappu managed to score a total of 13 points, which includes a Super 10. He scored 11 touch points, a bonus point as well as a tackle point. Furthermore, his contribution in pressure situations like do-or-die raids cannot be overlooked as it was what kept his side abreast of the Yoddha when it looked like they would pull away.