Lalrinzuala, Borges, Vineeth: Five Indians Who Have Shone in ISL 3

The Quint brings you a list of five players who have so far stood out in this edition of the ISL.

The Indian Super League (ISL) was initiated with the intention of providing a competitive platform for Indian footballers to develop. The plan was to give the Indian players a level ground to play alongside international players and coaches, so that Indian football could grow. A long-term goal was set to make India a footballing giant. How much of all of this will be achieved, only time will tell.

However, in real time we have a few Indian players who seem to have utilised the platform provided by the league really well.

They have not just stepped up their game, but have also taken advantage of the exposure provided to them to polish their skills.

1. Jerry Lalrinzuala

Jerry is just 18 and the Mizo lad has made an appearance in all the 11 matches that Chennaiyin FC has played this season. A product of the AIFF Elite Academy, he is probably the only youngster, who at the age of 18, has found a place in the regular starting line-up of teams.

Jerry is one of Coach Marco Materazzi’s favorites. “I am not stupid enough to not make Jerry play in the team,” he said once.

Jerry has so far won two ‘Emerging Player of the League’ awards and has earned an assist against FC Pune City. He is often seen playing in the left flank, supporting his fellow Mizo senior Jeje Lalpekhlua.

2. Rowllin Borges

The 24-year-old Goan midfielder Rowllin Borges is surely the best buy for NorthEast United this season. He has started in all their matches. If you watch the team play, Rowllin’s performance will surely catch your eye.

The holding midfielder has played 509 passes in the league so far, which is the highest in the team. This essentially means that Rowllin has been a part of almost all the good moves the team has made. At the same time, he has also carried out 23 tackles and 24 interceptions, which again is the highest in the team.

His overall contribution in both offensive as well as in the defensive aspects of the game easily makes him the most effective NorthEast United player.

One another key aspect of Rowllin’s performance is his attitude. The tall lad doesn’t seem to be afraid of anyone nor does he seem to care who he is playing against. He has a very aggressive style of play, but hasn’t committed many fouls. Watch out for him, if you haven’t already seen him play.

3. Kean Lewis

The 24-year-old Delhi Dynamos midfielder Kean Lewis currently holds the distinction of being the top Indian goal scorer of the league with four goals and is just one behind Iain Hume, Emiliano Alfaro and Marcelo Leite Pereira. He also has two assists to his name.

If you managed to catch a glimpse of Delhi’s last match against Pune on 18 November, you may remember his goal, which was an absolute screamer. His efficiency upfront can be well understood from the fact that this season he has in total attempted 11 shots, nine of which were on target.

Kean Lewis hasn’t yet played for the Indian team and Mohun Bagan is the only I-League side he has played for, having joined them last season. And if the selectors are watching him right now, it won’t be a surprise if we see him in the Indian colours soon.

4. CK Vineeth

Three matches, three goals, and five shots which were all on target. These are CK Vineeth’s stats for you in this season of ISL. After returning from Bengaluru FC’s historic AFC Cup final, Vineeth has been the man of the moment for Kerala Blasters FC as he turned around games for team Yellow brigade at the very end.

The Bengaluru FC player, who has had a fantastic 2015-16 season with the team where he scored 7 goals in total, including 2 in the AFC Cup tournament, continued his fine form in the ISL and what a relief it has been for his team, who were struggling early on in the league.

5. Jeje Lalpekhlua

The list won’t be complete without the mention of Jele Lalpekhlua. The Chennaiyin FC player, who was the top Indian goal scorer last season, has already scored three goals this season. Closely contesting Kean, Jeje also has two assists to his name.

He is so far Chennaiyin’s top goal scorer and it’s such a positive sign to see a team depending on an Indian, despite having bigger foreign names available like Bernard Mendy and Hans Mulder.