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Midfielders
Thoi Singh
Thoi Singh created a stir before the ISL 2015 during the player auctions, by being sold for a whooping Rs86 lakhs and becoming the third most expensive player in the ISL auction behind Sunil Chetri and Eugenson Lyngdoh.
Thoi played nearly all games for Chennaiyin in the 2015 edition and his role was so important that his coach said that Thoi was the lungs of the team and that he carried a dual oxygen cylinder with him, given the amount of effort and space he covered during a game.
After the 2015 edition, Thoi again played for Chennaiyin FC in the 2016 edition in between were two stints with Bengaluru FC and Mumbai FC in the I-League.
This season Thoi will again be seen playing for Chennaiyin FC, and the owners Abhishek Bacchan and Vita Dani are huge fans of this Manipuri Midfielder.
Manuele Blasi
The former Juventus and AS Roma midfielder was hand picked by Marco Materazzi to marshal the Channaiyin FC midfield, and the Italian did it with style. Known for his hard tackling and destructive style of play, Blasi was just perfect for Materazzi's brand of football in which he loved breaking down opposition attacks in the midfield, and with Blasi, Thoi, and Khabra, he couldn't have asked for a better trio to carry out his instructions in the ISL.
After his stint in the 2015 ISL, Blasi went on to play for SS Ischia Isolaverde in the Serie D in Italy, and later went on to retire from football.
Harmanjot Singh Khabra
Harmanjot Singh Khabra is one of the most bankable players in Indian football. Nearly every coach he has played for, has praised this Amritsar-born midfielder and his versatility is one thing which every coach loves.
Khabra himself says that he can even play as a goalkeeper if the coach wants him to. He is one of the few players in Indian football to have practical playing experience in nearly all outfield positions on the pitch.
An East Bengal legend, having won 7 CFL titles and 3 Federation Cups with the Red and Gold brigade, the Punjabi has built up an impressive repertoire for himself. He played for Chennaiyin FC right from the start of the Hero ISL as a loanee from East Bengal. After shifting his allegiance to the Bengaluru FC during last season’s I-League, Khabra will be playing for Bengaluru FC in this season's ISL and he is someone who will be dearly missed by the fans of Chennaiyin FC.
