ISL 19/20: 5 Indian colts to watch out for
Indian football is on the rise, and this season of the Indian Super League could potentially be a game-changing one for the Indian football scene. The newly-appointed coach of the national team, Igor Stimac, has entrusted young and inexperienced, yet technically fantastic players. Stimac has handed out debuts to numerous young players and the team has started to get results. These players and others who haven't been called up to the national team will be looking to secure their position in the team by their exploits in the ISL.
The ISL has evolved from a glamorous, brief tournament to a longer and testing league. More and more players are emerging from this league, and it is headed in the right path of becoming a catalyst for the growth of Indian football. The ISL clubs are responsible for bringing out the talent of players like Sahal Abdul Samad, Rahul Bheke and Raynier Fernandes to the nation. The football fans will again hope to find more such players in this season.
In this article, we will have a look at some of these colts who can become stars this season.
#1. Amarjit Singh Kiyam
The first player on the list has to be Amarjit Singh Kiyam. The boy who led the Blue Colts in the FIFA U17 World Cup two years back has shot into limelight in the past few months. After he was unexpectedly called up for the National Team camp by coach Stimac, his inclusion in the main squad surprised many.
On top of that, he started in the first match of India under Stimac against Curaçao. He was the only player to start in every game under Stimac until the World Cup Qualifier match against Oman when he was injured. The Manipuri midfielder was roped in by Jamshedpur FC last season but was loaned to Indian Arrows. He is expected to start for them this season.
#2. Anwar Ali
The second player on the list is Anwar Ali. He was also a part of the U17 World Cup squad and played as a centre-back. The Minerva Academy product shot into prominence after he scored a stunning free-kick against Argentina in the 2018 under-20 Cotif Cup to lead India to a 2-1 victory. He was roped in by Mumbai City FC the same year but was loaned to Indian Arrows for the season.
But this season, he is expected to start as the centre-back along with Mato Grgic to solidify the Islanders' defense. Despite being called up for the Indian Senior team camp twice, he has not been picked for the main squad until now. Hopefully, he can break into the senior team after better performances in the coming season.