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The ISL has been a tournament which has grabbed the eyeballs of the nation. Generally, India is a country where football is a dormant sport and is only popular in various pockets in the country. The footballers of the nation have stated numerous times that the ISL is a tournament all the players want to play and thrive in. With a galaxy of superstars in the cash-rich tournament, the Indian players live the moment and learn the tricks of the trade from the seasoned professionals.
With the I-League and the ISL running simultaneously, national team head coach Stephen Constantine has a wide pool of Indian players to pick his squad from. Though India haven’t lost a game in nearly two years, a lot has been said about what the strongest XI of the Blue Tigers is.
In this article we take a look at the players who despite putting on great performances in the ISL, have not been handed in a national team cap.
Mandar Rao Desai
The case of Mandar Rao Desai not been handed a National team cap till now is equivalent to the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle. Mandar has undoubtedly been one of the best Indian players in the ISL since its inception. His runs down the left flank are a treat to watch and the maturity with which he showcased his game has been a revelation for Indian football.
A lot has been said about Mandar not being selected for the national team. Some say he is poor while tracking back, while others state that his style of play is not suited for the national team which plays a more direct game under Stephen Constantine. All said and done, Mandar is undoubtedly one of the most technically sound and creative players present in Indian football and not having a national cap till date is only a loss for the national team.
Thoi Singh
This midfielder from Manipur is an ISL winner with Chennaiyin FC and is highly rated by Marco Materazzi. Marco went on to state that Thoi has dual oxygen cylinders in him given the amount he runs during a game. Thoi is a destructive midfielder and is somewhat a master at breaking down the opponent game in the midfield.
Thoi has been around in Indian football for a long time and has been overlooked for the national team. Given the style and quality with which Thoi plays it is sad to see him being completely overlooked for the national team.
Rahul Bheke
Rahul Bheke wasn’t selected in the initial ISL player draft list, but Kerala Blasters picked him on loan from East Bengal just before the start of the second season and he went on to play every game of that season and also played nearly every game for FC Pune City under Antonio Lopez Habbas.
Rahul is a coach’s player and puts every instruction into play without many mistakes. He is also known for his bullet throw-ins, which act as set-piece most of the times. Coaches like Trevor Morgan, Terry Phelan, and Antonio Lopez Habbas speak highly of this former East Bengal right-back. Since the National Team has mainly one right back in Pritam Kotal, it would also be good to have some healthy competition within the team. Rahul’s versatility is also something every coach loves.
TP Rehenesh
TP Rehenesh has been North East United’s man for all seasons. He has been so important for North East United that they had to bench Greek legend Alexandros Tzorvas, in order to play Rehenesh. Tzorvas himself admitted that Rehenesh is a phenomenal goalkeeper.
The list of goalkeepers who can be given the tag of world class in India is very long and with the likes of Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Subrata Pal and Amrinder Singh already in the fold, it is always going to be tough for Rehenesh to get a national team call-up. All said and done, however, the way in which Rehenesh has proved himself in the ISL is meritorious enough to get a national team cap.
Souvik Chakrabarty
Shouvik is another coach’s player. He is a versatile midfielder who can also play as a right back, left back, right winger, central defensive midfielder, or as a central midfielder. He was a favourite of Roberto Carlos and Zambrotta during his Delhi Dynamos days and is now a favourite of his new coach Steve Coppell.
Souvik played all the games for Delhi Dynamos last season, and is the only Indian player to do so, having had a training stint with Australian side Central Coast Mariners. He also helped Mohun Bagan win the I-League a couple of seasons ago.
A player of Souvik's quality is always useful in any team and it is sad not to see him being called up to the national team even once.
