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The fifth edition of the Hero Indian Super League is just around the corner and the latest chapter in Indian football will unfold when ATK host Kerala Blasters in the inaugural game at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday.
The dawn of a new season brings with it plenty of excitement and joy to the fans spread out across the country as they look forward to cheering their favourite teams in action over the course of the tournament.
The 2017/18 season of the ISL produced as many as 261 goals from all the 10 teams involved during the tournament as FC Goa topped the goal-scoring charts with 43 goals while North East United was the least prolific in front of goal with a paltry return of 16 goals from their 18 games.
Ferran Corominas won the Golden Boot award last season for an impressive tally of 18 goals throughout the campaign but he will undoubtedly face a stiff challenge to retain the individual honour due to the sheer competition on offer from a number of counterparts this year.
On that note, let's take a closer look at five of the best marksmen to watch out for in the upcoming season of the ISL:
#5 Jeje Lalpekhlua (Chennaiyin FC)
The prolific hitman hailing from Mizoram powered Chennaiyin FC to the ISL title last season and is the all-time leading Indian goal-scorer in the history of the competition. Jeje has been associated with the two-time ISL winners since the inception of the tournament back in 2014 and has found the back of the net on 22 occasions from his 53 appearances so far.
The 27-year-old was Chennaiyin FC's leading goal-scorer last season with nine goals from 20 appearances averaging at 0.45 goals per game and also became the first Indian to finish as the top-scorer of a championship winning side. Jeje is expected to play an integral role for the defending champions this year as they aim to become the first team to successfully defend their ISL crown.
Jeje earned his 50th cap for the Indian national team against New Zealand during the Intercontinental Cup earlier this year and has been a star performer for both club and country ever since making his debut at the senior level.
#4 Tim Cahill (Jamshedpur FC)
Tim Cahill will go down as one of the biggest ever foreign signings to have ever graced the Indian Super League since it's inception courtesy of his glaring reputation for both club and country during a senior playing career that has spanned for over two decades now.
Cahill marked his appearance in a fourth consecutive World Cup when he came off the bench during Australia's final group game against Peru in Russia earlier in the summer.
The 38-year-old will bring a huge wealth of experience to Jamshedpur FC, courtesy of his involvement with a host of clubs spread across the world, and his arrival will further enhance Steve Coppel's ambitions to try and secure a semi-final berth this season.
Cahill is the all-time leading goal-scorer for the Socceroos with 50 goals from 107 caps and will be aiming to replicate the similar kind of form when he makes his mark on ISL this season.
#3 Marcelinho (FC Pune City)
Marcelo Pereira, commonly known as 'Marcelinho', is no stranger to Indian football fans, thanks to his memorable debut season with Delhi Dynamos in 2016 when he won the Golden Boot after netting 10 goals for the team.
The Brazilian was roped in by FC Pune City for the 2017/18 season and he wasted no time in polishing his reputation as one of the league's most feared marksmen by captaining the Stallions to their best ever performance in the history of the competition.
A natural goal-scorer who is equally adept at playing on the flanks or through the middle, Marcelinho scored eight goals and registered seven assists to directly contribute to 50 percent of Pune City's goals during the last season as they reached the semi-finals for the first time ever.
The Stallions have never lost a game when Marcelinho has scored and his partnership with Emiliano Alfaro did not take too long to become lethal in front of goal.
The forward will be instrumental if Pune City is to build on their strong showing last season and will surely be their go-to man whenever they need a goal or two during the upcoming season.
#2 Sunil Chhetri (Bengaluru FC)
Sunil Chhetri, the stalwart of Indian football, enjoyed a remarkable season with Bengaluru FC last year when he guided his team to the final with an impressive tally of 14 goals from his 21 appearances over the course of the season.
The 34-year-old holds the record for the highest number of goals scored by an Indian in a single season and is the only player in the current Bengaluru FC squad to have featured in every season since their inception in 2013.
The dynamic forward bagged the 'Hero of the League' award last season, courtesy of his impressive showing throughout the tournament, and was a major driving force behind the Blues' success while also scoring the opening goal in the final albeit for a losing cause.
Chhetri is also India's leading goal-scorer with 65 goals and is currently third in the list of active international scorers in world football only behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The captain of the Indian national football team was also adjudged as the 'AIFF Player of the Year' for 2017 owing to some inspiring performances for both club and country.
#1 Ferran Corominas (FC Goa)
Ferran Corominas or 'Coro', as he is popularly known, took the ISL by storm during his debut season last year with FC Goa when he became the leading goal-scorer of the tournament. The Spaniard notched up an impressive 18 goals from 20 appearances, a record tally in a single ISL campaign, to win the Golden Boot award last season.
The 35-year-old is an experienced campaigner and has registered over 200 appearances in La Liga for Espanyol, Osasuna and Elche before making the switch to India with FC Goa.
Coro also registered the fastest hat-trick in the history of the competition when he scored three goals within eight minutes against Kerala Blasters to add to his hat-trick against Bengaluru FC earlier in the season.
The Spaniard is arguably the most prolific goal-scorer to have ever played in the ISL and averaged almost a goal per game while directly contributing to 23 goals, thanks to his five assists that further enhanced his credentials on Indian soil.
Coro will be aiming to guide FC Goa to their maiden ISL title this season when he takes the field to try and match his performances from the previous edition.
