ISL 2020/21: Top 3 goalkeepers to watch out for
In the seven years that the Indian Super League (ISL) has been in existence, the quality of Indian football has gone up several notches. In recent seasons, quality attacking players have been recruited from some of the biggest leagues in the world.
Thus, to cope with the attacking impetus in the league, goalkeepers have had to adapt. This has been a huge positive for Indian custodians in particular, with some of the best goalkeepers in India being compared to the best in the world. The fact that many ISL clubs have preferred Indian goalkeepers as opposed to overseas ones has also reinforced this claim.
Let's take a look at three goalkeepers who are expected to come good this season.
1) Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Bengaluru FC)
There are very few goalkeepers in Indian football that have achieved as much as Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has. The lanky 28-year-old has been the number one between the sticks for Bengaluru FC since signing with the club in 2017, the club's first season in the ISL.
Gurpreet has also managed to secure the golden glove in the last two seasons, becoming the first player to win the golden glove on two separate occasions. He is also projected to win the award this time around, and will be key to Bengaluru FC's chances of securing the ISL title.
2) Mohammad Nawaz (FC Goa)
20-year-old Mohammad Nawaz is widely viewed a the successor to Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in the Indian national team. The youngster has been the number one for FC Goa since he broke into the first team in the 2018 season.
The 2019-20 season witnessed Nawaz keep five clean sheets in 20 games, a performance that helped FC Goa claim pole position in the league. At the moment, Nawaz ranks at number 10 with 10 clean sheets to his name in the two seasons he has played in the ISL.
3) Subrata Pal (Hyderabad FC)
Subrata Pal is a name that is somewhat synonymous with Indian football. The 33-year-old is a veteran of football leagues in India, having played in both the I-League and the ISL, along with several domestic and intra-state competitions. The upcoming season will witness Subrata Pal play for ISL outfit Hyderabad FC, following his transfer from Jamshedpur FC.
Having been in and around the ISL since 2014, the 33-year-old has managed 85 appearances, making him one of the most capped players in the league. With 26 clean sheets to his name, Pal currently holds the record for the highest number of clean sheets and claimed the golden glove in the 2017-18 season with Jamshedpur FC.
Pal will be important to Hyderabad FC's chances to better their performance compared to last season.