2) Marquee Player: Michel Salgado (Kochi)
The ex-Galactico was chosen as the marquee player for the Kochi 5s franchisee. Dubbed as the least gifted of the six marquee players, many expected Kochi to be one of the weaker teams in the tournament but Salgado had other plans. His win-or-die attitude caught Kochi by its scruff and pulled them through to the finals.
Apart from being a champion leader on the pitch, the 40-year-old showed great fitness throughout the tournament and his defensive performances were crucial in taking Kochi through the group stages. Despite picking up multiple injuries, Salgado never gave up on the pitch and his attitude boosted the confidence of his men. He was always confident enough to take a shot from distance and his shots were almost always on target.
Despite missing his penalty in the final, he will be remembered by the fans as one of the best players of the first edition of the tournament and rightly so.
