Three East Bengal FC players to watch out for at Durand Cup 2026

East Bengal are set to face Mohun Bagan SG in the opening game

East Bengal are poised to start off the Antonio Habas era with the beginning of the 2026 Durand Cup, where they aim to win the trophy that has evaded them for over two decades. The Torchbearers actually reached the final of the 2025 Durand Cup but came up short in a shocking loss to Diamond Harbour FC in the semi-finals.

This time, with an experienced head coach in Habas – who is well accustomed to winning trophies in his career – East Bengal will look to start their 2026-27 season in dominant fashion by impressing in the Durand Cup.

The Torchbearers are unlikely to be able to field that many foreign players in this tournament, which is still a pre-season competition for their players to sharpen up their performances before the start of their Indian Super League (ISL) title defence.

However, the Durand Cup can be the ideal platform for many of their talented domestic players to win over Habas’ trust. The Spanish gaffer will be using the matches in this tournament to help the players adapt into his system and try out some variations with his new bunch of players.

For a few particular players, the Durand Cup can be perfect to prove why they can be an ideal fit for Habas’ system and deserve to be treated in important roles going forward.

Here, we look at three East Bengal players to watch out for at the 2026 Durand Cup.

Jay Gupta

Jay Gupta had a pretty frustrating debut campaign with East Bengal, only being able to start in five of their ISL matches in the 2025-26 season. He picked up three yellow cards in his 10 league appearances, often being too aggressive and not stable enough defensively – forcing Oscar Bruzon to even play PV Vishnu in that role in front of him.

However, Gupta now has a chance to start afresh at East Bengal under a new system of Antonio Habas – who does prefer his full-backs to boast impressive defensive qualities rather than prioritizing their attacking intent. Gupta managed some decent defensive numbers last season, making 32 defensive contributions and 26 possession recoveries in the ISL – but it was probably his inability to consistently create chances that undid him under Bruzon.

Now, the 24-year-old has a chance to win back his left-back spot at East Bengal if he can really impress under Habas’ style at the Durand Cup. Jay will look to be a proactive figure on the left flank for the Torchbearers, neutralizing the threat of speedy wingers and shutting down movement in his side to prove himself as defensively rock-solid.

He probably does need to work on his overlapping qualities a bit, but if able to prove himself as an energetic and efficient figure on that side and produce eye-catching performances at the Durand Cup – Gupta can increase his chances of being a regular starter under the new boss.

PV Vishnu

PV Vishnu was one of East Bengal’s best domestic players in their 2025-26 ISL title-winning campaign, proving himself as an effective figure on their left flank. He operated both as a winger and wing-back for the Torchbearers, bagging four goal contributions (one goal, three assists) in 13 appearances to help East Bengal win their first-ever ISL title.

However, Vishnu is aware that Habas will be treating every player afresh and not really take last season’s heroics into that much of a consideration when it comes to planning his tactics for East Bengal.

As a result, it’ll definitely be interesting to see how the 24-year-old winger operates at the 2026 Durand Cup as he fights to earn a prominent starting role under Habas going forward. Vishnu has actually impressed for East Bengal in their 2026 Calcutta Football League (CFL) campaign, scoring and showcasing himself to be in a really sharp shape going into the Durand Cup.

Vishnu needs to stay true to his style, making good use of his dribbling ability to burst past defenders and get into the danger zones in the final third.

If the 24-year-old is able to add more decisiveness to his final product, ensuring better passes into the middle for his teammates and also finishing off chances more effectively – he can really excel for East Bengal at the Durand Cup and establish a key role in Habas’ plans.

Also Read: Three Mohun Bagan SG players to watch out for at Durand Cup 2026

Jerry Mawihmingthanga

Jerry Mawihmingthanga really had a debut campaign to forget for East Bengal in their 2025-26 season, not being able to play as big a part as he would’ve ideally liked to for the Torchbearers. Jerry only made two appearances for East Bengal in their ISL-winning campaign, with a nasty injury ruling him out for a large chunk of the campaign.

That basically means that the 29-year-old winger will almost be like a new signing for the Kolkata side in the 2026-27 season and he’ll be aiming to impress new boss Antonio Habas in the upcoming Durand Cup.

Jerry is a highly experienced player in the Indian football scene, having been playing at the top level for over a decade now and having also scored 17 goals for Odisha FC – including his five goals in the 2024-25 ISL campaign.

The 29-year-old boasts impressive speed to burst past defenders on the right-wing and he is clever enough with his off-the-ball movement to cause trouble to opposition players.

Jerry has the creative qualities to send in inviting passes into the final third, but he really excels at positioning himself at the end of chances inside the box to score precious goals to uplift his side’s goal threat.

Jerry will look to be at his unpredictable best at the 2026 Durand Cup, guiding East Bengal to big results and proving that he can still be a big asset for them.

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