5 players who deserved to be named in the Indian National team

The probable list of 32 players for the national team who are to play Kyrgyzstan in India’s last remaining AFC Asian CUP 2019 qualifiers was announced today and it did bring with it more than a few surprises, the biggest of them being the exclusion of Captain Cool Sunil Chhetri.

With India already securing its place in the showpiece event Stephen Constantine has looked to rest the skipper before the not so important tie and give some of the reserves a chance. Stephen during his second stint as India coach has called up 31 new players during his tenure and has handed out debuts to them.

In this article, we take a look at 5 players who have not been given a national call-up despite performing brilliantly in the domestic season.

#5 Jerry Mawihmingthanga

The DSK-Liverpool academy graduate is one of the few Indian players to have a training stint with one of England's top clubs Liverpool when he and his academy teammate Changte had a training stint at Melwood.

Jerry has improved leaps and bounds throughout the season and has matured under the tutelage of Steve Coppell who has been able to install stability and maturity into the young lad. He was one of the few regular Indian starters for Jamshedpur FC and was their best Indian winger.

Jerry is credited with scoring the fastest goal in ISL history and apart from that he also has three assists to his name, but more than that it has been the amount of workload that he has been undertaking this season which is praiseworthy. He was often seen dropping back and helping out his wing backs. He has more interceptions and clearances than Bikash Jairu.

#4 Michael Soosairaj

Soosai Raj in action during the Chennai league — Soosairaj in action during the I League

Michael Soosairaj has been one of the finds of the season so far, as he has impressed everyone with his skills on and off the ball. An attacking midfielder by trade he can be deployed as a central midfielder or as a second striker. His main USP has been his calmness with the ball and is one of those rare players who love to have the ball at their feet.

His contributions have had a big effect in helping Chennai City FC avoid relegation this season. He scored 3 crucial goals for Chennai City and is one of the highest Indian goalscorers in the I league this season.

With players like Alen Deory who have barely featured in the I league and have not been able to fix their spot in the starting XI this season getting a call-up to the national team, one does feel for Soosairaj who has worked very hard to reach this level as he has been with CCFC from their Chennai league days.

Soosairaj was recently signed by ISL franchise Jamshedpur FC for a record 30 lakh transfer fee which is a club record for CCFC.

#3 Brandon Fernandes

Brandon in action against Chennaiyin FC — Fernandes in action against Chennaiyin FC

Brandon Fernandes is one of those few Indian players who has spent his youth career playing abroad and having training stints in some of England's top clubs, yet for some unusual reason, he has always been overlooked for the national team.

Very few Indian players possess the skill set that Fernandes posses and it is his versatility to play as a winger or a central attacking midfielder that makes him so deadly for any team.

This season he has been among the thick of things for FC Goa under Sergio Lobera and has managed to garner 4 assists to his name. He has also created numerous chances and has a pass success rate of around 75% which is very high compared to the other Indian wingers or midfielders playing in the league.

Fernandes' expertise in set pieces could have been a huge bonus for the national team.

#2 Mandar Rao Desai

Mandar in action vs ATK — Desai in action vs ATK

Mandar Rao Desai just before this season gained the eyeballs of Spanish giants Villareal who called him for a two-week training camp. He has always been one of the best Indian wingers and has been constantly ignored for the national camp. Zico the erstwhile FC Goa coach even went on to claim that no other Indian winger had the qualities that Desai possess.

Speed, agility, guile, vision and a good range of passing skills all makeup Desai's playing style. He has been in good form this season and has a big role in ensuring that FC Goa made the playoffs this season. He has 2 goals and 3 assists in 18 games but more than that, it has been his presence down the left and the number of chances that he has created that has gained everyone’s eyeballs this season. He has more than 30 successful crosses and over 35 shots which is high for any Indian player.

With players like Sumit Passi in the squad who has only played 187 minutes of football this season, and has played less than 500 minutes of football combining the last two seasons, one can say that not including Desai (who has played 1600 minutes of football this season only) has been a grave injustice to a player who has been performing well consistently.

#1 Rahul Bheke

The most shocking exclusion from the 32 member list has to be Rahul Bheke. He has undoubtedly been the best Indian defender this season in the ISL and has played as a centre back or as a right back with equal conviction. He has at times bossed around foreign players and has been one of the most difficult players to beat on the pitch.

Bheke has 55 clearances and 25 blocks credited to his name. Also, he has made around 50 tackles this season which is one of the highest by any Indian defender. He has a pass success rate of around 80% which is one of highest in the league and also has 20 successful crosses to his name, all these stats just go on to prove that Bheke has without a doubt been the best Indian defender this season.

With players like Anas getting a call-up to the national team despite featuring in only a handful of games, one feels sorry for the likes of Rahul Bheke who has been performing brilliantly for the past two seasons and has still been ignored for the national team.