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The league stage of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 season came to a close on Monday with Jamshedpur FC clinching the League Winners' Shield. The Red Miners rallied to a resilient 1-0 victory against ATK Mohun Bagan.
With this victory, JFC finished at the top of the points table, followed by Hyderabad FC, Mohun Bagan, and Kerala Blasters FC to make up the top four.
The race for the semi-final spots intensified in the second half of the season with almost eight teams in contention. The neck-and-neck competition saw some of the finest team and individual performances in the recent past.
While we wait for the knockout games, it's time to take a look at the top 11 players from the league stage of the ISL. The lineup has been selected, keeping in mind the four-foreign player quota, and we have opted for a 4-4-1-1 formation.
The intense competition and the sheer quality shown by most teams this season has made the selection process extremely cumbersome. So, if a player from your favourite team hasn't made the cut, don't blame it on bias.
On that note, let's take a look at the top 11 players from the league phase of the ISL.
Goalkeeper: Prabhsukhan Singh Gill (Kerala Blasters FC)
Kerala Blasters have possessed one of the meanest defenses in the league so far and a pivotal figure in their backline has been Prabhsukhan Singh Gill.
During the 2021-22 season, the first-choice keeper for KBFC, Albino Gomes, suffered an injury and Gill got his chance to shine. Since then, the 21-year-old has made the position his own and has come away with six clean sheets in 17 games.
While most keepers in the ISL haven't lived up to the expectations this year, Gill has, day in-day out, performed up to his potential.
Right-back: Asish Rai (Hyderabad FC)
Quite like the selection for the goalkeeping spot, the choice of Asish Rai as the right-back in the best 11 is a walk in the park. The 23-year-old has been an absolute revelation in ISL this season, having played 14 matches and notching up three assists.
Rai has missed the last few games due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the camp, but whenever he starts, he's a menace down the flanks. As of now, the defender has registered 56 crosses - the highest for Hyderabad FC.
Center-back: Ruivah Hormipam (Kerala Blasters FC)
The Indian centre-back slot was probably the toughest call to make. There have been some decent performances throughout the league phase. But hardly any of them have stitched together a consistent stretch of performances. Except for Ruivah Hormipam.
The 21-year-old has only started in nine matches for Kerala Blasters, hence his inclusion might raise a few eyebrows. But once he slotted into that center-back spot, Hormipam looked calm, composed, and, most importantly, solid going into challenges. In his 11 appearances, the young defender has racked up 40 tackles, 25 interceptions, and 53 clearances.
Center-back: Tiri (ATK Mohun Bagan)
It's very important to specify that Marko Leskovic was thoroughly considered for this position. But Tiri and his ability to strengthen Mohun Bagan's defense, irrespective of the center-back partner, pushed him slightly higher.
The 30-year-old has been an absolute rock at the back for Mohun Bagan through thick and thin. The Spanish defender has started 15 matches for the Mariners and has stepped in with 40 tackles, 51 interceptions, and 89 clearances. He is the league leader in the number of interceptions.
Left-back: Naorem Roshan Singh (Bengaluru FC)
This was another position with two credible options in Akash Mishra and Naorem Roshan Singh. However, the prospect of Roshan and Asish, two elite crossers of the ball, playing together was too enticing.
Among defenders, Roshan has the highest tally of assists at seven. His ability to play on both flanks has also made him a favourite of Marco Pezzaiuoli. The 23-year-old played 17 matches and has 77 tackles this season.
Center-midfielder: Jeakson Singh (Kerala Blasters FC)
Jeakson Singh has had a belter of a season in the middle of the park for the Yellow Tuskers. The 20-year-old has fitted in perfectly in the KBFC midfield beside Puitea. Most notably, Jeakson has looked comfortable on the ball with a pass completion percentage of 83.36%. Meanwhile, he has also registered 75 tackles from the midfield spot.
Apuia was another midfielder being considered for the position. But Jeakson managed to beat the Mumbai City FC midfielder purely on his ability to not just control the tempo but also his defensive contributions.
Center-midfielder: Ahmed Jahouh (Mumbai City FC)
This was an absolute no-brainer. No one is quite like Ahmed Jahouh! What the Moroccan does on the field is best defined during his absence (case in study, Mumbai City's vital clash against Kerala Blasters).
Jahouh is a midfield general and has the natural ability to control the progression of the game. Everything at Mumbai City passes through him. With seven assists this season, the 33-year-old has shown his creative prowess from the deep.
Right-midfielder: Bipin Singh (Mumbai City FC)
Bipin Singh had a remarkable individual season with the Islanders, although they failed to make it into the top four. The 27-year-old became only the second player in ISL history to score at least six goals in consecutive seasons.
Along with half a dozen goals, the winger also assisted thrice throughout the season. His pace down the wing was a major attacking outlet for Mumbai City.
Left-midfielder: Liston Colaco (ATK Mohun Bagan)
Along with the likes of Prabhsukhan Singh Gill and Ahmed Jahouh, Liston Colaco was one of the initial names to make it into the lineup. His goal-scoring acumen has been nothing short of a revelation this season.
The 23-year-old has thumped eight goals already in ISL 2021-22 and bagged three assists. In a team with foreign attackers like Hugo Boumous, Roy Krishna, and David Williams, Colaco ended the league phase as the top scorer for the Mariners.
Center-forward: Greg Stewart (Jamshedpur FC)
He's Greg Stewart for God's sake! The former Rangers forward has been the best player in this year's ISL. Stewart steered and amplified everything good about Jamshedpur with his silky skills on the ball and smart runs off it. Don't forget his prowess from deadball situations either.
The Scotsman played 19 matches and has a goal contribution of 20 with an equal number of goals and assists. While the Red Miners have definitely performed as a strong unit to win the title, Greg Stewart has been one hell of a shining light in that rather young, inexperienced setup.
Striker: Bartholomew Ogbeche (Hyderabad FC)
From the best player in the league, we quickly move on to the best striker, i.e., Bart Ogbeche. Rather than trying to paint pictures with words, let the numbers do the talking. The Nigerian has scored 17 goals in the same number of matches and also recorded an assist. His goal conversion rate is a whopping 30%.
Having a striker like Ogbeche has allowed Hyderabad to play an expansive form of football and they are the team to score the highest number of goals in ISL this season. The 37-year-old's inclusion doesn't warrant any further justification.
