I-League Stats: Who will finish as the highest Indian scorer?

Over the years, the I-League individual scoring chart has been dominated by foreigners and the 2012-13 campaign has been no exception as there are no Indians in the top ten. Most clubs tend to play at least one foreign striker upfront with an Indian striker either being rotated with a foreigner or another Indian player, while some clubs even play a completely foreign attack. So it becomes very difficult for local players to be prolific.

Hence the tag of being the highest Indian scorer becomes even more precious for all the local players in the league. So far this season, no Indian has reached double figures yet but with three weeks of the season still remaining, we could see that change. Last season, CS Sabeeth finished on top with nine goals for Pailan Arrows. So which Indian will finish with the best tally this time?

We first take a look at the current top three scorers. Interestingly, none of them are out-and-out strikers. (Note: Stats updated till the Prayag United – Shillong Lajong game played on April 19 2013)

CK Vineeth (Appearances: 23; Starts: 19; Goals: 7)

Vineeth – Prayag United’s number 30 (Photo Credit: AIFF Media)

The Prayag United left-sided midfielder has turned out to be a great signing for the purple shirts as he has contributed with some important goals despite not playing upfront. Although normally used on the left flank, Vineeth has also done well from the other side and his good goal scoring return is one of the main reasons for getting a call-up to the senior national team. Vineeth could have got close to the milestone of 10 goals by now had he not been injured last month and has just one more game to add to his tally, in what has proved to be the best season of his professional career so far.

Joaquim Abranches (Appearances: 23; Starts: 15; Goals: 6)

Joaquim is the only player in the top three who could still be considered as a striker, but the Dempo man has hardly played upfront for the five-time Indian champions. In one of the few games that he did start as a striker, Joaquim netted a match-winning brace against Pailan Arrows. The 27-year-old has been among the top Indian scorers in recent seasons but has never finished as the highest and he would probably miss out this time also as there are only two more fixtures remaining and he may not start in them.

Francis Fernandes (Appearances: 21; Starts: 21; Goals: 6)

Francis Fernandes (In Blue)

The Salgaocar medio has sometimes operated on the flanks, and occasionally in the number 10 role behind the lone striker, but has still managed to be the Goan club’s top scorer so far in this campaign. Francis is currently one of the most experienced midfielders in the I-League and hence has become a much better finisher as now he shows a lot more composure inside the box than he used to earlier in his career. The India international will be looking to get on the score sheet in the final two games of the season also.

Five-Goal Club

Seven other Indian players have reached the five-goal milestone but strangely only two of them are genuine forwards. One of them is Shillong Lajong’s Sushil Kumar Singh, who continues to divide opinion whenever he gets called up to the national team, while the other is Pailan Arrows teenager Holicharan Narzary, who started the season on fire with three goals in his first two games.

Midfielder Milan Singh is the other Arrows member to have scored five, but interestingly, all the goals have came from the penalty spot. Dempo duo Clifford Miranda and Peter Carvalho have also netted five each and the latter could yet add to that tally because he has the habit of being at the right place and right time in set-pieces.

Arata has four more games to add to his tally

The two players who have the best chance of improving their goal scoring record are Churchill Brothers’ Bineesh Balan and Pune FC’s Arata Izumi. Three of Bineesh’s five came in the 8-4 thumping of Sporting Clube, and with league leaders Churchill still having three games remaining, the 24-year-old would fancy his chances of scoring a few more.

Arata’s Pune FC has four more games and thus the India international has a great chance to not only add to his tally, but even become the highest scorer as the Red Lizards will definitely create opportunities and one can expect this goal-scoring midfielder to get on the end of some of them.

Wild Cards

Photo Credit: AIFF Media

The highest Indian scorer is likely to be from one of the players mentioned above, but we have picked some players who can’t be ruled out just yet. Pune FC striker Jeje Lalpekhlua has been there and done that as two seasons ago, his 13 goals for Arrows saw him finish at the top of this category. He has four so far, but with his club still having to play the same number of games, the Mizoram-born player could yet finish on top once again.

His state-mate Lalrindika Ralte of East Bengal is another player who has four to his name and could score a few more in the final three games of the season. Let’s not forget that two of East Bengal’s three games are home ties against relegation fighters Shillong Lajong and United Sikkim so Ralte, who has built a reputation of scoring vital goals with his left foot, still has a great chance of improving his tally.

But the best wild card bet has to be Indian captain Sunil Chhetri. The 28-year-old striker could turn out to be the difference between Churchill Brothers and East Bengal in the title race as he has netted three goals in his last two games for the Goan club and if there is one Indian player who could score five or six in three games it has to be Sunil. The Arjuna Awardee will be relishing playing against his former club Mohun Bagan twice as the green-and-maroon brigade have struggled defensively. Sunil could score a few more in this loan spell and inspire Churchill Brothers to their second I-League crown.