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FIFA 18 has hit the stores and fans can't wait to get their hands on EA Sports' latest label. In what promises to be the highest grossing football video game ever, the Indian team has, as always, been poorly represented, and why not?
The Indian national team languishes outside the top 100 in the FIFA rankings at the moment and FIFA 18's top players come from established footballing nations like Portugal, Argentina, Brazil and Germany. Truth be told, India is just a footnote in the global footballing ecosystem and that is very much evident in the FIFA 18 player ratings.
That said, the Blue Tigers are on an unbeaten run of 11 matches stretching back to 2016, and that has seen a few Indian national team stars receive an upgrade over their FIFA 17 ratings in FIFA 18.
Without further delay, let's take a look at the Indian national team stars who have received upgrades in FIFA 18.
Sandesh Jhingan 61 (+1)
Jhingan was handed a paltry 60 in FIFA 17 but has grown into a vital member of both his club and national teams over the past year. The central defender went on to play the final of the Indian Super League last year before joining Bengaluru FC and winning the Federation Cup with the Blues. He also captained the Indian national team on three occasions since FIFA 17 rolled out last year and has been handed a 1-point upgrade to be rated 61 overall in FIFA 18.
With the ISL getting bigger from the 2017-18 season onward, Jhingan has the potential to get even better in the next few editions of EA Sports FIFA given he is only 24 and has his prime years ahead of him. The added responsibility of captaining India could also be the catalyst for his rise in the years to come. He also has his FIFA 18 potential at 67, a big spike from his base rating.
Jeje Lalpekhlua 60 (+2)
The Chennaiyin FC striker had a prolific spell with the national team when he scored seven goals in seven matches for the Blue Tigers since their unbeaten run started in June 2016. Jeje's 2-point upgrade is well-deserved because of the player's importance to both his club and the national team as well as his ability on the pitch, which had reached prolific levels before dying down in recent games. The Mizo forward has jumped from 58 in FIFA 17 to 60 in FIFA 18.
Still only 26, Jeje has the potential to become an even better player in the subsequent editions of EA Sports FIFA. That said, the ex-Mohun Bagan striker is in the middle of a barren spell and his FIFA 18 potential is 61, hence it will be tough for the player to make much of a jump but if he rediscovers his goalscoring touch, nothing is impossible for Jeje.
Eugeneson Lyngdoh 61 (+3)
Lyngdoh hasn't had the best of years but the current ATK midfielder still retains an aura about him in Indian football's scheme of things. The 31-year-old is India's creative hub from the centre of the park and has received the biggest upgrade of all Indian players in FIFA 18. The midfielder from Meghalaya has seen his overall rating rise from 58 in FIFA 17 to 61 in FIFA 18, but whether that hike is justified is questionable at best.
The former Bengaluru man might just have seen his best in FIFA 18 with his downbeat performances of late not meriting such an upgrade. Lyngdoh's is the joint-third highest rated Indian player in FIFA 18, but given Anas Edathodika has been given a 55 rating, it seems that EA Sports have got this one horribly wrong. That said, Eugene has been a fantastic servant of Indian football for years now and his 61 rating is the least he deserves.
