ISL 2017: Top 5 Indian national team players to be part of the domestic draft
The time has come for the Indian Super League (ISL) clubs to begin their preparations for the fourth edition of the tournament. Amid reports of Atletico de Kolkata appointing former Manchester United star Teddy Sheringham as their head coach, the deadline day for the retaining of Indian players, widely reported to be 7th July, passed us by.
Those players who were not retained will now be selected from the draft which is to be held on 23rd July.
With the cap set at retention of only two Indian players, most of the teams went for the jugular and paid astronomical figures to retain their star players. The most noteworthy would be goalkeepers Debjit Majumder and Amrinder Singh who were retained by Atletico de Kolkata and Mumbai City FC respectively. However, a number of prolific players could not be retained by the sides due to the existing rules of the tournament.
We take a look at the top Indian players who will be eligible for selection in the upcoming draft to be held later this month.
#1 Pritam Kotal
The Mohun Bagan full-back has not been retained by the Atletico de Kolkata management for the upcoming season of the ISL. If we take a look at the past performances of the 23-year-old, a remarkable stat reveals the exact significance of the player. Having played 1952 minutes in the ISL, Kotal has the ability to slot in consistent performances over a long period of time.
The ISL's changing face next season will also require players to be resilient in terms of stamina and mettle. With it being a five-month tournament and the proposed Super Cup and AFC competitions to follow, the most relentless one will be able to come out on top of the same. On that regard, Kotal seems to be the perfect choice for the interested franchises as he looks set to hit top gear in the forthcoming season of the tournament.