ISL Season 8: It has been a terrific Indian Super League season for the Indians as they have taken up big roles in helping their respective clubs achieve greatness. Some of the young players have flourished in their first season in the cash rich league. Follow all the ISL 2021-22 LIVE Updates only on InsideSport.IN
The performances of these Indian players are very important as the best performers are often included in the national team setup by head coach Igor Stimac. Right after the ISL, the Blues Tigers will prepare for the final rounds of the Asian Cup Qualifiers.
.@NEUtdFC's star striker VP Suhair in conversation with @Shaiju_official shares that he strives to one day don the @IndianFootball jersey and play for his country! 🇮🇳
Watch the full video here 👉 https://t.co/rZlsNmZDgT#HeroISL #LetsFootball pic.twitter.com/Cf5OK6qclY
— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) February 4, 2022
So we take a look at the possible five players who can get their maiden India cap in the upcoming month.
VP Suhair (NorthEast United)
VP Suhair’s name has been doing rounds among Indian football fans for his exceptional work ethic and team-first attitude. Suhair may not be the most aesthetic forward available in the Indian Super League but he offers traits like no other player. The NorthEast United forward has been a consistent performer ever since 2019 when he won the I-League with Mohun Bagan under Kibu Vicuna’s stewardship. He then joined NorthEast United and had a decent season where more than his goals and assists it was his work rate and versatility that helped head coach Khalid Jamil.
The 29-year-old continued that fine form to the current campaign and this has been his best goalscoring season in the ISL. Suhair, who has mostly featured on the right flank has already scored four goals at the point of writing and has also provided two assists. He has been one of the few bright lights in an underwhelming season for the Highlanders.
Suhair’s performance in the last three seasons have been exemplary hence he deserves a national team callup. He is different from the forwards we have in the national team setup and he has the capability to change the dynamics in attack for the Blue Tigers. He can also play on either flank and also lead the lines upfront. His playmaking nature and tendency to drop deep will help in certain systems.
Danish Farooq (Bengaluru FC)
𝐒𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐔𝐔𝐔𝐔𝐔𝐔!!! @bhatt_09 #WeAreBFC #BFCOFC pic.twitter.com/IvFVzwGJw9
— Bengaluru FC (@bengalurufc) February 21, 2022
One of the most consistent performers for Bengaluru FC in midfield this season has to be Danish Farooq. The youngster from the valley has seamlessly settled in the ISL in his first season. He has been a fan favourite for Real Kashmir and is gradually becoming a heartthrob among the Bengaluru FC supporters.
The 25-year-old has been a brilliant enforcer for the Blues in midfield and has registered three goals and two assists at the point of writing. Head coach Marco Pezzaiuoli has been super impressed with Danish as he compared the midfielder to Mercedes. “In Germany we would call Danish Farooq a Mercedes. Not just any Mercedes, a diesel Mercedes. He just keeps running and he has the quality to score goals,” Pezzaiuoli said in appreciation of the 25-year-old.
Danish offers a lot of different aspects, something that the current national team midfielder doesn’t. Apart from being the enforcer in the middle, he is exceptional from setpieces. Danish Farooq’s early career as a striker makes him hungry to score goals. He is a unique talent and can be a massive asset for Igor Stimac’s men.
Naorem Roshan Singh (Bengaluru FC)
Naorem Roshan Singh probably has been the find of the 2021-22 ISL season. He is a prime contender to win the ISL Emerging Player of the Year. Roshan came in the starting eleven when Bengaluru FC were going through a rough patch this season and instantly changed their fortunes with his exceptional deliveries. The young full-back who is equally adept with both feet has delivered some of the best balls for the Bengaluru FC forwards.
The 22-year-old courtesy of his talent from setpieces and crosses has registered a total of seven assists till now. His ability to skip past defenders and drill in dangerous crosses added another attacking outlet for Marco Pezzaiuoli’s men. His setpieces have also been a blessing for the Blues. But till now his highlight has to be the excellent freekick goal that he scored against Kerala Blasters in a 1-0 win.
He will surely be one of the top contenders to earn a national team callup, especially for his with the ball abilities. His deliveries will add another dimension to Igor Stimac’s team in attack and they do not have played with such a strong left foot who can slot in on both flanks with aplomb.
Prabhsukhan Singh Gill (Kerala Blasters)
Ever since he joined the Indian Arrows, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill has grown in stature. He joined Bengaluru FC and was Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s understudy. He made his ISL debut for the Blues and learned a lot of things featuring for the Blues. But it was only when he joined Kerala Blasters and slotted in for an injured Albino Gomes. Gill proved his credentials with some sensational saves. He is currently the Golden Glove contender with five clean sheets till now with a save percentage of 70.83% he has mustered 34 saves in 14 matches at the point of writing.
While the top two spots are taken up by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Amrinder Singh in the national team setup. Igor Stimac can choose to fast track Prabshukhan Gill’s career by giving him an opportunity to learn more from his seniors. Spending more time at the camp will help the young custodian immensely and will also boost his morale. Also if he wins the Golden Glove it will be the best way Stimac can reward him for his efforts with the Yellow Army this season.
Aniket Jadhav (Hyderabad FC)
Another former U-17 India star, who featured in the 2017 U-17 World Cup. But he started impressing everyone with his stint at Jamshedpur FC. Ahead of the current season, he joined Hyderabad FC and under the tutelage of Manolo Marquez, he became a different player altogether. Aniket who has had trained with English lower division outfit Blackburn Rovers definitely has a spark in him to achieve great things in his career.
The young winger is fast, agile and can take on defenders at will. he has complimented Bartholomew Ogbeche brilliantly with his consistent performances on the left flank. Many people thought that the Nizams will miss the experienced head of Halicharan Narzary on the left but in came Aniket and proved everyone wrong. The 21-year-old left-winger can feature in multiple positions in attack and midfield has found the net twice along with three assists from only 843 minutes spread across 16 league matches.
The Indian national team have several players in their current setup who can play the same role as Aniket, but the youngster’s strength and pace make him a different commodity to defend against. However, he needs to work a lot on his decision making and final delivery. But Igor Stimac can surely think of handing the former Arrows man a chance to gain some experience from the national camp as he will get to brush shoulders will the top players and get to learn a thing or two.
Editors pick
