ISL 2023-24: Top five Indian assist providers

26-year-old Sahal Abdul Samad leads the chart

The Indian Super League (ISL 2023-24) season is shaping up to be extremely exciting with a lot of attacking football on display. It is no longer a league where clubs rely on foreign players to create and score goals. Now, the head coaches are not hesitant to put Indian players under the spotlight and give them a chance to shine. 

Indian players are going toe-to-toe with foreign players regarding performances and stats. They are constantly taking important positions on the lineup such as the No.10 or a winger and shouldering the responsibility to create scoring chances. As the ISL 2023-24 season progresses, one can be sure to see Indian players record a lot of goal contributions.

In terms of assists, in particular, Indian players have been impressive as they create better-scoring chances with quality distribution. Staying with the theme, here is a look at the top five Indian assist providers in the ongoing ISL season.

Jerry Mawihmingthanga - 1

Jerry Mawihmingthanga and several other Indian players have already registered one assist in the ongoing season of the Indian Super League. The Odisha FC winger is one of the most exciting to watch Indian players in the league who certainly possesses the skill to add more goal involvements to his name.

Sergio Lobera, head coach of Odisha FC, will hope that the winger can provide more assists down the line. Forwards like Diego Mauricio and Roy Krishna would relish good service and Jerry Mawihmingthanga has the capability to provide it.

Lallianzuala Chhangte - 2

Mumbai City FC’s commitment towards the AFC Champions League has seen it play only five games as of yet. In those five matches, MCFC’s Lallianzuala Chhangte has looked like his old dangerous self. The winger has notched up two assists but is yet to score this season.

Lallianzuala Chhangte finished as the highest Indian goalscorer with 10 goals and second-highest assist maker with six assists last season. As a result, he won the AIFF Footballer of the Year award among others. Therefore, expectations from Chhangte are high this season.

Nandhakumar Sekar - 2

East Bengal FC’s 2023-24 season of the Indian Super League is not off to an ideal start. However, their new acquisition in Nandhakumar Sekar is showing positive signs. The winger has delivered two assists already in five appearances in the league for the Red & Gold Brigade.

Nandhakumar Sekar joined East Bengal FC from Odisha FC amidst a lot of excitement. The winger has made 11 successful dribbles as of yet and will likely play a major role in the rest of the season for EBFC as they aspire to qualify for the ISL playoffs.

Manvir Singh - 2

Manvir Singh is tied in the number second position in terms of the highest Indian assist makers in the ISL 2023-24. The wing forward has delivered two assists while playing for Mohun Bagan. In addition to two assists, he has also scored two goals for the Mariners.

Manvir Singh’s game has evolved in recent years. Playing alongside prolific goalscorers such as Dimitri Petratos and Jason Cummings is helping the forward improve his overall forward play. He is improving the quality of his service in the box from the wide channels.

Sahal Abdul Samad - 3

Sahal Abdul Samad is the leading assist maker in the Indian Super League after the conclusion of six rounds of matches. Not only the leading Indian, he is the leading player in the whole division in terms of assists made. 

The attacking midfielder has made three assists in four matches for Mohun Bagan Super Giant. The Mariners have played fewer games than most clubs in the ISL due to their commitments in the AFC Cup. If Sahal can keep up his brilliant display for the remainder of the season, then it would not be surprising to see him finish the season with the most assists for the campaign.