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The Indian Super League has attracted a diverse legion of international stars like Nicolas Anelka, Alessandro Del Piero, David Trezeguet, Elano and top-rated Indian footballers like Clifford Miranda, Jeje Lalpekhlua, Gouramangi Singh and Syed Rahim Nabi for its inaugural season.But some of India’s best known faces are still missing from this year’s tournament, many of whom regularly feature in the I-League.We look at five such players whose availability would have been the icing on the cake for all stakeholders of this blockbuster event.
#5 Karanjit Singh
The Salgaocar goalkeeper is another high-profile absentee from this year’s Indian Super League.
The 28-year-old has been a very consistent performer over the years for both his Goan club and the national side. His heroics at the 2011 SAFF Championship, where he kept three clean sheets in five games, helped India lift the trophy.
Karanjit’s brilliant performances for Salgaocar in the 2010/11 guided his club to their second-ever domestic league title. He has been a regular for the national team, having amassed 19 appearances since his debut in 2010.
The Indian football community will sorely miss this familiar face in this year’s tournament, especially after watching him dish out impressive performances for Salgaocar throughout the 2013/14 season.
#4 Arata Izumi
The first foreign-born player to represent India, Arata Izumi is another big name missing from the Indian Super League in its inaugural season.
Born to an Indian father and a Japanese mother, the Japan-born midfielder became an Indian citizen in 2012. His domestic club Pune FC have not allowed their contracted players to take part in the ISL, in contrast to other Indian clubs who have loaned out their players to ISL franchises.
Izumi made his debut for the Indian national team in January last year and has represented the country on eight occasions since. Primarily an attacking midfielder, Izumi is also adept at playing on the wings or doubling up as box-to-box midfielder.
His knowledge and experience of Indian football would have come in handy for the foreign coaches of the ISL franchises. But unfortunately, he will have to make do with watching the tournament on television.
#3 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
While the Indian Super League has grabbed all football headlines in India over the last few months, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s move to Norwegian top-flight club Stabaek has gone completely unnoticed.
The 22-year-old, long considered a goalkeeping prodigy, had also spent a few weeks at English club Wigan Athletic for a trial last year. He eventually made his European move in August this year by signing with Tippeligaen outfit Stabaek.
Sandhu has been training hard and has established himself as the club’s second choice goalkeeper, but is yet to make a first-team appearance this season. He decided to give the ISL a miss in order to establish himself at his new club, impress his manager and seize this golden opportunity with both hands.
The ISL might have lost out on a talented young goalkeeper, but Indian football certainly has ample reasons to celebrate and share Sandhu’s success.
#2 Robin Singh
Robin Singh missed out on the Indian Super League because he plays for Bengaluru FC in the I-League who refused to release their players. The tall and muscular Indian striker has been turning a few heads in the domestic circuit for the last couple of seasons. And the ISL organisers and Indian football fans would be very disappointed with his absence from the tournament.
After three impressive seasons at East Bengal, Robin Singh was signed by Ashley Westwood last year for the ambitious project laid down by Bengaluru FC. He went on to become an integral part of Westwood’s front line, scoring and creating a lot of goals in Bengaluru’s triumphant debut season.
Robin’s physicality and height, traits that are not usually associated with an Indian striker, would have been prized assets for managers of all the eight ISL clubs.
#1 Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri is Indian football’s poster boy and one of the best footballers of all time to wear the Indian colours. His absence from the Indian Super League is because he too plays for I-League club Bengaluru FC, who refused to release their contracted players for the franchise-based tournament.
Bengaluru FC manager Ashley Westwood had planned a pre-season overseas tour (Honk-Kong and China) for his squad. As a result, none of the players contracted to the reigning I-League champions have been able to take part in the ISL.
Chhetri is ISL’s biggest missing link. The former Kansas City (USA) and Sporting Lisbon B (Portugal) player has single-handedly raised the profile of football in India over the years. Had he been allowed to take part in the ISL, he would have undoubtedly been the most prized possession for any ISL franchise.
Chhetri has expressed his disappointment over his inability to be a part of a potential football revolution in India and the Indian captain would definitely be missed throughout the tournament.
