Five I-League players to watch in Hero Super Cup

These players made an instant impact in the recently concluded second-tier league.

With the international break over, Indian football fans are now eagerly waiting for the onset of the Hero Super Cup. Slated to be the season-ending tournament, the successor of the Federation Cup will see outfits from the ISL and I-League lock horns.

As was seen in the Durand Cup, I-League outfits like Mohammedan SC and Rajasthan United are capable enough to make upsets by defeating big teams. Thus, it will interesting to see which league's clubs make a bid to triumph at the tournament and end their season on a high.

In this regard, we will take a look at five I-League players who can prove to be game-changers in the season-concluding league.

5. Samuel Kynshi

One of the major findings of this season's I-League is Samuel Kynshi. He was one of the players whose form enabled Real Kashmir to gather momentum toward the end of the season and end the season on a high. After an inconsistent start to the season, he gradually grew and eventually made 10 goal contributions in his last eight games.

He scored six goals throughout the league. The 22-year-old attacking midfielder is no doubt one of the major takeaways for Real Kashmir this season. With him reaching good form toward the end of the season, Kynshi should be looking to continue this form into the Super Cup as well.

4. Huidrom Naocha Singh

The only defender to feature in this list is Huidrom Naocha Singh. Singh played for the league winners RoundGlass Punjab FC and played a significant role in their league triumph. He had the highest playing time for an on-field player. He made 315 challenges, 138 interceptions, and 169 recoveries, all of which are the highest stats in the league.

Apart from these stats, the loanee from Mumbai City FC showed very good composure, demeanor, and ball control throughout the league to provide stability at the back of Punjab's defence. The Super Cup will be a better test for the youngster where many pundits will have a keen eye on him.

3. Rosenberg Gabriel

The highest assist provider in this season's league is Sreenidii Deccan FC's Rosenberg Gabriel. He provided five assists throughout the league. Pundits have had a lot of expectations from the youngster before the start of the season itself, which he was able to fulfill to a very large extent.

His contributions largely aided his side to finish in second place in the league table. Going forward, Sreenidi Deccan would like to get over their miss of winning the league by at least qualifying for the playoffs in the Super Cup. For achieving that, it will be imperative for Rosenberg to repeat his I-League performance.

2. Kiran Kumar Limbu

In the penultimate position of this list, we have the goalkeeper of the I-League winning side RoundGlass Punjab FC. Kiran has been decisive in the goal of Punjab. He made 74 saves throughout the tournament, among which 48 were on target, and kept seven clean sheets, both stats being the highest in the league. He is also the goalkeeper with the highest playing time and the highest number of passes, the number being 467. He would like to continue his form in the Super Cup and aid his team to win another silverware by the season's end.

1. Luka Majcen

Undoubtedly, the player to attract the highest attention is Luka Majcen of RoundGlass Punjab FC. He is the highest scorer in the I-League with 16 goals. He played a principal role in his side's triumph of the season by being a constant threat in the opponent's penalty area.

His sharp movement, effective combination with fellow attackers, and clinical ability to shoot made him an unstoppable force in the attack of Roundglass Punjab. Hence, before playing in the ISL in the upcoming season, Majcen would be keen to get a taste of playing against ISL sides, and there could not be a better tournament for doing the same than the Super Cup.