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India hosted the FIFA U-17 World Cup, a tournament to create the future stars of the game, in 2017. Although India lost all their three group stage matches, it promised the nation that the future was in safe hands.
Fast forward two and a half years to now, twelve of those twenty-one squad members rubbed shoulder-to-shoulder with players from all across the globe in the ISL. Of the remaining nine, Sunny Dhaliwal and Namit Deshpande returned to Canada and the USA respectively.
Mohammad Shahjahan and Boris Singh are respectively contracted with Jamshedpur FC and ATK but didn't turn up for their senior team. Anwar Ali's heart ailment meant he couldn't make a single appearance for Mumbai City FC this season.
Abhijit Sarkar, Hendry Antonay, and Nongdamba Naorem are plying their trades with East Bengal, Indian Arrows, and Mohun Bagan respectively in the I-League. Sanjeev Stalin, meanwhile, penned a deal with Portuguese's top-division side CD Aves.
Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem (4/10): Making the move from Kerala Blasters to ATK in this season of ISL, the most recognisable face in the junior World Cup had only one appearance under his belt. In the final match of the league stage, he made 2 saves and conceded 2 goals against Bengaluru FC.
Prabhsukhan Singh Gill (4/10): Like his counterpart Dheeraj, Prabhsukhan too managed to make only one appearance for Bengaluru FC. Coincidentally, he made his debut in the same match and boasts of the same saves and number of goals conceded.
Jitendra Singh (5/10): Originally a centre-back, Jamshedpur FC's head coach Antonio Iriondo deployed him as a defensive midfielder in his debut ISL season. Like most of his teammates, his inexperience cost the team on numerous occasions but the eight matches he was a part of could turn out to be a valuable learning curve.
Suresh Singh Wangjam (8.5/10): The Manipuri youngster is the only regular starter to have made it to ISL playoffs. Representing Bengaluru FC, the pocket dynamo can be seen everywhere on the pitch. Suresh has already registered one assist in the competition in 504 minutes and backed it up with 33 tackles, 12 interceptions, 6 clearances, and 10 blocks.
Ninthoinganba Meetei (7.5/10): NorthEast United FC's right winger Ninthoinganba couldn't register any assist or goal to his name but impressed a lot with his dribbling skills. He also lodged 20 crosses in 527 minutes he got in the pitch.
Amarjit Singh Kiyam (8/10): Jamshedpur FC suffered a major jolt at the beginning of their campaign when the captain of India's FIFA U-17 World Cup squad suffered a fracture in his hand. The India senior international had an impressive outing after his recovery. Having made 37 tackles, 10 interceptions, 11 clearances, and 11 blocks alongside one assist averaging 36 passes per game. Amarjit could prove to be a vital cog in Jamshedpur FC defense for the next season.
Aniket Jadhav (7/10): After a stint with Blackburn Rovers in the summer, Aniket took 16 shots and lodged 15 crosses in 458 minutes he got for Jamshedpur FC while also scoring a goal. Being deployed in the right wing, he didn't shy away from helping the defenders as proved by the 19 tackles and and 8 interceptions he made.
Komal Thatal (3/10): After becoming the youngest ISL goalscorer last season with ATK, Thatal found himself lost in the star-studded squad. As opposed to the 565 minutes of playing time in the 2018-19 season, he got only six minutes to prove his worth this time.
Lalengmawia (9/10): Making the cut to India's 43-member preliminary squad against Qatar, Lalengmawia registered the most number of minutes (900) from the batch in this season of ISL. The defensive midfielder was the lone shining prospect in the lacklustre NorthEast United FC outfit with 60 tackles, 24 interceptions, 18 clearances, and 15 blocks to his name all the while averaging at 48.6 passes per game with an accuracy of 80.45%.
Rahim Ali (4/10): Another forward who struggled to get playing time in a well-settled unit was Chennaiyin FC's Rahim Ali. He got only 182 minutes under him but made 71 passes.
Jeakson Singh (8/10): India's lone goalscorer in the FIFA U-17 World Cup made it to the country's 43-member preliminary squad alongside Lalengmawia. The defensive midfielder boasts of 887 playing minutes with 55 tackles, 14 interceptions, and 14 blocks for Kerala Blasters. His passing accuracy of 84.9% while averaging at 34.15 passes per game further cements his ability as a ball-playing player.
Rahul KP (7.5/10): The young Rahul KP wasn't to be spared in an injury-laden Kerala Blasters side as he sat out for the majority of the season after scoring a goal early in the season. With 7 shots, 11 crosses, and 20 tackles, he made the most of the little time he got.
