The SportsRush presents to you the Top 5 Indian Players in the ISL this season, those who have the capability to take the ISL by storm.
The fifth edition of Indian Super League (ISL) will kick off from 29th September at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata with two time champions ATK facing their arch-rivals, Kerala Blasters. Since its inception in 2014, ISL has proved to be an excellent platform for Indian football players to show their talent and skills. With only over a week for the longest season of ISl to begin, let us have a look at top 5 Indian players in ISL 2018.
Sunil Chettri ( Bengaluru FC )
Sunil Chettri is undoubtedly the biggest star of Indian football in the recent times. The Indian national team skipper and highest goal scorer of the country will be expected to leave his mark on the field. Chettri played a crucial role in Bengaluru FC’s ride to the final in the last season where they lost to Chennaiyin FC. The runners up had finished on the top of ISL points table with a total of 13 wins.
This time around also, the success of Bengaluru FC will be highly dependent on the shoulders of Chettri. Looking at his recent form, he will surely be a tough nut to crack for other team’s defence. He was also awarded Hero of the League in the 2017-18 season.
Lalruatthara (Kerala Blasters)
The winner of ISL Emerging Player award in 2017, the 23-year-old defender will be a player to look out for. Having started for his club 17 out of 18 times the last season, the former Delhi Dynamos player would be looking to make even greater contributions this year and take his team for its maiden title win.
His ability to play as a centre-back, left back and right back has really helped his team and made him a great asset. The club’s trust on him can be seen from the fact that he got an extension in his contract of three years till 2020-2021 season.
Jeje Lalpekhlua (Chennaiyin FC)
Jeje Lalpekhlua has been donning the blue jersey since the first season of ISL in 2014. The striker from Mizoram is the second highest goal scorer in the ISL and the highest Indian goal scorer with 22 goals in 4 seasons.
The 27-year-old has will have to shoulder the responsibility of leading the team’s attack along with Raphael Augusto, Gregory Nelson and Francesco Fernandes and show his goal-scoring prowess. With a great understanding of the game and an inherent ability to banging in goals make Jeje an indispensable resource for the two-time champions Chennaiyin FC.
Subhasish Bose (Mumbai City FC)
The 23-year-old defender from Kolkata is currently one of the most talented players in Indian football. He is currently a part of Indian national team and established himself as one of the crucial players last season for Bengaluru FC.
He also captained the national side in SAFF Suzuki Cup His ability to play in both as well as centre defensive areas make him a great option to have in any team. He can also prove to be a threat when going forward.
