3 players who have won both the ISL and I-League
Winning the Indian Super League (ISL) is a tall order. With the league being highly competitive and several clubs boasting of loads of talented players, the ISL has become the most-watched football league in India. Although the I-League might not really have the TV ratings as the ISL, it is also a tournament to be reckoned with.
At the moment, Bengaluru FC remain the only club to have won both the I-League and the ISL. However, when it comes to players that have won both competitions, there are very few.
That said, let us take a look at three players who have managed to win both the I-League and the Indian Super League.
#1 Jeje Lalpekhlua
Jeje Lalpekhlua is an important player for both SC East Bengal and the Indian football team. The 29-year-old was a part of the Mohun Bagan side that lifted the I-League title at the close of the 2014-15 season, making 12 appearances and scoring a goal.
However, Jeje has been more successful with ISL outfit Chennaiyin FC where he managed to lift the ISL title in 2015 and at the end of the 2017-18 season. The Indian striker will play for SC East Bengal in the upcoming season, a club that he has never played for before.
#2 Sunil Chhetri
At the moment, Sunil Chhetri is synonymous with Indian football. Having burst onto the scene over a decade ago, Chhetri has been one of the few Indian players to play in Europe and America. The 36-year-old is currently the skipper of Bengaluru FC where he has been quite successful in the last few seasons.
Chhetri has won four I-League titles with three different clubs namely Dempo, Churchill Brothers and Bengaluru FC. In addition to this, the 36-year-old has also managed to win the ISL with the Blues in the 2018-19 season. It was when Bengaluru FC became the first and the only club in the history of the tournament to secure the League Winners shield and the Championship.
Nishu Kumar, Udanta Singh, and Soram Poirei are among the others to join Chhetri in this feat.
#3 Arindam Bhattacharya
Although Arindam Bhattacharya isn't in the reckoning for the Indian national team in recent times, the 31-year-old was perhaps the most important part of ATK's title-winning season in 2019-20. He was also named the Hero of the Match in the final following a stellar performance against Chennaiyin FC.
Having signed with Churchill Brothers in 2008, Bhattacharya was an integral part of the side that went on to win the title in the 2009-10 season, a club where he won the Federation Cup as well. He is now the number one choice goalkeeper for ATK Mohun Bagan this season.