ISL 2018-19: 5 Best Forwards to watch out for
The fifth edition of the Hero Indian Super League is just around the corner and the latest chapter in Indian football will unfold when ATK host Kerala Blasters in the inaugural game at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday.
The dawn of a new season brings with it plenty of excitement and joy to the fans spread out across the country as they look forward to cheering their favourite teams in action over the course of the tournament.
The 2017/18 season of the ISL produced as many as 261 goals from all the 10 teams involved during the tournament as FC Goa topped the goal-scoring charts with 43 goals while North East United was the least prolific in front of goal with a paltry return of 16 goals from their 18 games.
Ferran Corominas won the Golden Boot award last season for an impressive tally of 18 goals throughout the campaign but he will undoubtedly face a stiff challenge to retain the individual honour due to the sheer competition on offer from a number of counterparts this year.
On that note, let's take a closer look at five of the best marksmen to watch out for in the upcoming season of the ISL:
#5 Jeje Lalpekhlua (Chennaiyin FC)
The prolific hitman hailing from Mizoram powered Chennaiyin FC to the ISL title last season and is the all-time leading Indian goal-scorer in the history of the competition. Jeje has been associated with the two-time ISL winners since the inception of the tournament back in 2014 and has found the back of the net on 22 occasions from his 53 appearances so far.
The 27-year-old was Chennaiyin FC's leading goal-scorer last season with nine goals from 20 appearances averaging at 0.45 goals per game and also became the first Indian to finish as the top-scorer of a championship winning side. Jeje is expected to play an integral role for the defending champions this year as they aim to become the first team to successfully defend their ISL crown.
Jeje earned his 50th cap for the Indian national team against New Zealand during the Intercontinental Cup earlier this year and has been a star performer for both club and country ever since making his debut at the senior level.