ISL 2020-21: Who is the king of ISL?

ISL 2020-21 is around the corner and we are just a few hours away from the kick-off. India's top-tier football league is a great platform for senior players as well as youngsters to show their talents. We have seen many youngsters finding their spots in the national team after being given opportunities in the ISL.

Colombian winger Stiven Mendoza also earned a national team call-up after guiding Chennaiyin FC to the title victory in 2015.

Here we analyze who is the most suitable player to be called the king of ISL.

#1 Mandar Rao Dessai

Mandar Rao Dessai is the highest capped player in the Indian Super League.

Mumbai City FC's recruit, Mandar Rao Dessai is the first contender having made the most appearances in the ISL so far. The left-back has made 97 appearances since the inception of the ISL in 2014.

Dessai played for a single club until the previous edition of the Indian Super League. He was a part of FC Goa's squad and led the side to a shield victory last season but has made a move to the Mumbai-based franchise this time. He is known for his excellent passing and interception skills. The 28-year-old player can even be used as a left-winger when required.

#2 Sandesh Jhingan

Sandesh Jhingan, one of India's best center-backs, will be playing for ATK Mohun Bagan this season after having served the Kerala Blasters for six seasons. The 27-year-old defender made 78 appearances for The Tuskers before leaving the side to find a new club for himself. Jhingan is a strong wall in the team's defense, who does not let any balls get past him and has the ability to steal the ball from opponent strikers.

Sandesh Jhingan was given a huge honor by KBFC owner Nikhil Bharadwaj when he decided to permanently retire his jersey number 21.

🗣️ | "He will always remain a Blaster at heart. As a tribute to his contributions, we will be permanently retiring his jersey number 21."A memorable parting gift from @KeralaBlasters owner Nikhil Bharadwaj for @SandeshJhingan 💛#HeroISL pic.twitter.com/EllDfmuRZv
— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) May 21, 2020

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#3 Iain Hume

Iain Hume played for three different clubs in the ISL between 2014 and 2019. The star striker played for Kerala Blasters, ATK and FC Pune City. He even led the top scorers' list in the Indian top-tier league once but was soon overtaken by other strikers.

The Canadian striker has 28 goals to his name. He holds the record for scoring the most hat-tricks (3) in the league till date. The 37-year-old player used to be a threat for ISL clubs as their defense would fall apart when he used to net in back-to-back goals.

#4 Ferrán Corominas

Ferrán Corominas has left the ISL side FC Goa to make a move back to Spain. The 37-year-old striker holds the record for being the overall top scorer in the history of ISL with 48 goals to his name in just 57 games. The experienced striker will be missed at the Fatorda Stadium after continuous stints of mind-blowing performances.

The player also holds the record of winning the Golden Boot in two consecutive seasons which makes him a strong contender for this spot.

#5 Sunil Chhetri

Indian captain Sunil Chhetri has also made it to the list with 39 goals in 74 games. He leads the charts as the overall top Indian scorer in the league and has led his side to title victory once in ISL Season 5.

Chhetri has been a great role model and has set an example for the youngsters in the country. He scored seven goals last season for Bengaluru FC and can lead his side from the front once again.

Who is the king of ISL?

It can thus be concluded that Ferrán Corominas is the king of ISL for his world-class performances in the league so far. The Spanish striker is the overall top scorer but will soon be overtaken by others as he left the ISL to join CD Atlético Baleares.

(Disclaimer: Opinion is that of the author and not of Sportskeeda's)