Veteran defender Narayan Das departs Chennaiyin FC | ISL 2023-24

Veteran centre-back Narayan Das has left Chennaiyin FC ahead of the 2023-24 Indian Super League (ISL) season.

Sportskeeda understands that the Marina Machans opted not to offer Das a new deal on the expiry of his contract at the end of May this year (via Transfermarkt). The experienced defender, 29, leaves after spending two seasons at the 'Marina Arena.'

He made 33 appearances across competitions for Chennaiyin FC after joining from East Bengal FC on a free transfer ahead of the 2021-22 ISL season. Narayan Das failed to find the back of the net but recorded an assist.

The West Bengal-born player was deployed in a variety of positions by the two-time ISL champions. He operated on the left side of a back three, as one of the two centre-backs in a back four and as a left-back.

Before joining Chennaiyin, Das played 37 times for East Bengal, 38 games for Odisha FC and 45 games for FC Goa. He has also won 29 caps for the Indian team, the last of which came in 2018.

Thomas Brdaric, who managed the Marina Machans last season, was full of praise for Das' leadership, even though the latter played only six league games due to injury woes. He featured in all of their 2023 Hero Super Cup games, with Chennaiyin exiting the competition in the group stage. Das' next club remains unknown.

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Chennaiyin FC have signed Narayan Das' replacement

Chennaiyin FC have been busy this summer, having made seven signings. Among those are centre-back Bijay Chhetri and versatile defender Ankit Mukherjee, signed from Sreenidi Deccan and East Bengal FC respectively. One of the two is expected to take over Narayan Das' spot in the squad as a back-up left-back and centre-back.

Chennaiyin have notably retained their starting full-backs from last season, with Ajith Kumar and Aakash Sangwan expected to stay and man the flanks. They have also signed another left-back in Sachu Siby (from Kerala United), while youngster Lijo Francis, who missed the entirety of last season with injuries, is also an option.

Apart from Chhetri, Mukherjee and Siby, Chennaiyin FC have brought in Sweden Fernandes, Farukh Choudhary and Irfan Yadwad to bolster their attack. Their foreign recruits from last season have all departed, while Anirudh Thapa, Jockson Dhas, Edwin Vanspaul and Prasanth Karuthadathkuni have also left.