Defenders
Left Back – Sandesh Jhingan (Kerala Blasters)
Perhaps the best Indian defender at the moment, Sandesh Jhingan has blossomed in the ISL, coming to the limelight after not setting things alight in the I-League. Although Jhingan is primarily a centre-back, he has often been used in both fullback positions for Kerala Blasters.
His composure on the ball, married to his physical stature all make for a complete defender who rarely lets an attacker get past him – perfect for the left back position.
Centre Back – Lucio (FC Goa)
A big part of the reason FC Goa made it to the finals of the 2015 Indian Super League, was having Lucio in defence. The Brazilian has brought back memories of his superb performances for the likes of Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, being absolutely rock solid at the back.
Lucio is the Gaurs marquee signing this year, and plenty of ISL strikers will struggle to get past his physical presence and superb position skills.
Centre Back – Bernard Mendy (Chennaiyin FC)
The tall Frenchman has taken to Indian football like a duck to water, reinventing himself from a speedy right-back to a towering centre-back. Mendy was absolutely immense for Chennaiyin FC in the first season of the ISL, but struggled a bit in the second season under Marco Materazzi, making a couple of errors along the way to lifting the title.
However, Mendy hasn’t been idle – he joined East Bengal and looked back to his old self, and should be still an important figure for Chennaiyin FC as they look to defend their ISL title.
Right Back – Rino Anto (Kerala Blasters)
Mehrajuddin Wadoo would have ordinarily been a shoe-in for the right back role, but Rino Anto has blossomed into a superb fullback, putting in some superb performances for Bengaluru FC and the Indian football team. Blessed with a superb engine, Rino Anto has matured as a defender, improving his positioning rapidly and crossing in the last few months.
In addition, Rino Anto is perhaps the likeliest to hit the ground running, playing competitive football in the AFC Cup recently. Spurred on by the home crowd in Kerala, Anto is likely to enhance his reputation in this edition of the ISL under the tutelage of Steve Coppell.
