MUMBAI: Defending champions U Mumba reached another high on Wednesday as they became the first team to win 10 matches in a row. Having already made it to the semifinals, they defeated Dabang Delhi 36-18 at NSCI stadium here to top the group stage of the Pro Kabaddi League.
They took over the mantle from Patna Pirates, who have 58 points from 14 matches, as opposed to 60 for the Mumbai outfit.
In the first match of the evening, Puneri Paltan avoided a semifinal clash against Mumbai as they beat Bengal Warriors 43-19. That took Pune to No 3 on the leaderboard, which means they take on Patna on Friday in New Delhi.
The Mumbai team, playing their last home game, gave their fans the final winning glance of the season. While the contest against Dabang Delhi, who won just one match this season and are placed at the bottom of the eight-team table, was not likely to test them, the champions were determined to keep the streak going.
For Pune, who have been up and down this season, it all came together on the day. Though they were missing their lead raider Ajay Thakur, the team put up a superb all-round show and never let Bengal a look-in.
Their imports — captain Manjeet Chillar and Thakur from Bengaluru Bulls, Jasmer Singh (Dabang Delhi) and Deepak Hooda (Telugu Titans) — have been the cornerstone of their success this season.