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The Indian national team drew 0-0 with the Asian champions Qatar at their home. Well, this may not sound very significant but in hindsight, it speaks volumes about how far Indian Football has come from the days of losing to sides like Nepal to giving the continental giants a run for their money.
A more settled football calendar, more friendlies, better marketing and improved training facilities over the last few years have contributed to the rise in quality of football aWhile they have suffered losses against Syria, Curacao and Tajikistan, the overall overview does indicate a slow but steady growth of India's brand of football
Indian players now have strict diet regimens followed by disciplined training as well as off-season schedules. With the clubs getting serious about the game and investing in modern training facilities, a large pool of quality footballers have come to the fore for India.
With that in mind, we will take a look at five Indian players to watch out for in the upcoming edition of the Indian Super League.
#5 Udanta Singh
One of the most important and prolific names in Indian football for some time, Udanta Singh will be one to watch in the familiar blue of Bengaluru FC. Udanta Singh has featured in 39 games in the Indian Super League, scoring six goals and assisting ten times.
He has always been a pivotal member of the Bengaluru FC sides which won the I-League, Federation Cup, Super Cup and the Indian Super League. He has been a part of the Indian national team as well since 2016.
Udanta's quick bursts of pace always comes handy for the team he plays for. With wing play, being one of the most implemented playing styles in Indian football, a quick winger like him will always be important for any team. Udanta combining with Sunil Chhetri and Ashique Kuruniyan for the Blues will surely be a treat to watch for the fans and pundits alike.
#4 Ashique Kuruniyan
Ashique Kuruniyan made headlines in 2016 when he joined the second team of the reserve side of Spanish side Villarreal. With a sizeable chunk of time in Spain under his belt and training experience in of the world's top football facilities, Kuruniyan never looked the same after returning to India.
He graduated from the famed Pune FC (now defunct) academy and it seemd that Kuruniyan always was special. He broke into FC Pune City first team and played 26 games, scoring three goals and assisting four times.
Kuruniyan has a more withdrawn style when compared to Udanta Singh on the other flank. He cuts-in intelligently opens up the wings of the opposition to create a hole in front of the midfield for others to occupy, much liek an old school winger.
All eyes will be on Kuruniyan to see how he combines with Sunil Chhetri and Udanta Singh at the pinnacle of the Bengaluru offence.
#3 Brandon Fernandes
Brandon Fernandes is best known for his three-year training stint at the ASD Football Academy at Capetown in South Africa. That resulted in training stints at Leicester City, Sunderland, Reading and AS Monaco.
With considerable European football experience under his belt, Fernandes finally returned to India and plied his trade in the I-League before joining FC Goa in the Indian Super League.
Fernandes has played 38 ISL games, scored thrice and provided for eight goals. A conventional attack-minded midfielder, all the onus will be on Fernandes to compliment Ferran Corominas and Co. upfront as FC Goa looks to better their record in the ISL from being two-times finalists to the winners.
#2 Sahal Abdul Samad
Sahal Abdul Samad has lived all his life in Oman before recently shifting to India for graduation. An unplanned and sudden trial for the Kerala Santosh Trophy side was the start of Sahal's journey in Indian football. He impressed every time he was on the ball for the state team and made his way to the Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League.
Sahal played just 19 games given his late arrival but has impressed almost every Indian football fan with his trickery and ball control on the pitch. He has been so good with the ball at his feet, Indian captain Sunil Chhetri was quoted calling Sahal as the next big thing in Indian football.
All the Blasters faithful will be looking up to Sahal fo inspiration in midfield as Eelco Schattorie's side chase the title.
#1 Jobby Justin
Scouted by East Bengal in 2017, Jobby Justin has come a long way. He had a slow start to his career in mainstream Indian football but eventually things got better. Under Alejandro Menendez, Justin was in the form of his life. With nine goals in 17 games for the Kolkata giants, Justin took Indian football by storm. He finished as the top Indian goal-scorer in the 2018-19 I-League.
Justin's physique allows him to exert pressure on markers and his fleet-footed skills help him get away from them. Justin is also an instinctive fox-in-the-box, being in the right spot at the right time and increasing his chances of scoring.
Justin may have taken fans by storm last season with his I-League performances but this season of ISL with ATK will be a different ball game altogether. With names such as Roy Krishna and David Williams and Michael Soosairaj in the roster, it will be interesting to see Justin jostling for first team action.
