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The eighth edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) is around the corner. ATK Mohun Bagan will take on Kerala Blasters FC in the opening encounter of the season on November 19.
For those wondering what the award is, the Golden Ball is presented to the Hero of the League. Overseas players have bagged the award on six occasions, while an Indian player has done so only once since the ISL's inception in 2014.
Striker Sunil Chhetri is the only Indian player to have won the Golden Ball. With that said, let's take a look at the recipients of the Golden Ball from the past seasons of the ISL.
2014 - Iain Hume (Kerala Blasters FC)
Iain Hume was the first player to win the Golden Ball during the 2014 edition of the ISL. He was the hero of the league, having scored five goals and assisted thrice across the group stage and knockout phase.
He played a crucial role in guiding the Kerala Blasters to the playoffs. However, they finished the season as runners-up, losing the final against ATK.
2015 - Stiven Mendoza (Chennaiyin FC)
Colombian striker John Stiven Mendoza scored 11 goals and assisted twice during ISL 2015. The foreign striker was a key player for the Marina Machans as he guided them to lift their maiden ISL trophy that season.
He was awarded the Golden Ball for his exceptional season with the Chennai-based club.
2016 - Florent Malouda (Delhi Dynamos)
Former Chelsea star Florent Malouda was the hero of ISL 2016, having scored and assisted thrice during the season. Delhi Dynamos finished third in the points table after the league phase.
However, they crashed out of the competition, losing against Kerala Blasters FC on penalties in their semi-final encounter.
2017/18 - Sunil Chhetri (Bengaluru FC)
Bengaluru FC striker Sunil Chhetri is the only Indian player to win the Golden Ball in ISL's history. The Indian skipper scored 10 and four goals in the group stage and playoffs, respectively.
The Blues were on a roll, having finished atop the points table. However, they lost the final 2-3 against Chennaiyin FC.
2018/19 - Coro (FC Goa)
Spanish striker Ferran Corominas ruled ISL 2018-19, having scored 16 goals in the competition. He also had seven assists to his name during the season.
The Gaurs finished third in the points table with 30 points. However, a loss against Chennaiyin FC in their semi-final fixture knocked them out of the competition.
2019/20 - Hugo Boumous (FC Goa)
Former FC Goa attacking midfielder Hugo Boumous played a crucial role in helping the side win the ISL Shield. He scored 11 goals and assisted 10 times throughout the season to bag the Golden Ball.
FC Goa made it to the playoffs, having finished atop the points table. However, Chennaiyin FC once again denied them a spot in the summit clash of the competition.
2020/21 - Roy Krishna (ATK Mohun Bagan)
The latest recipient of the Golden Ball, Fijian striker Roy Krishna, had a wonderful start to his ISL career during the 2019-20 edition of the Indian top-tier league.
The 34-year-old was brilliant during ISL 2020-21, having scored 14 goals for ATK Mohun Bagan throughout the season. He also assisted four times each in the knockouts and playoffs.
His efforts went in vain as the Kolkata-based club failed to win either the ISL trophy or the ISL Shield.
