It's a moment of pride for me to lead the team, says Chennayin FC skipper Bikash Yumnam

Bikash Yumnam captained Chennaiyin FC in their first Durand Cup game.

The 133rd edition of the IndianOil Durand Cup kicked off in Steel City Jamshedpur on Sunday, and on the second matchday of Group D, Chennaiyin FC suffered a narrow defeat against the Indian Army Football Team. Though the result wasn’t as the Chennaiyin FC fans might have expected, what wasn’t surprising was to see a young Bikash Yumnam lead the side into the ground.

The youngster reflected on the team’s performance in their first match of the 133rd Durand Cup and said, “We are very disappointed with the loss in our first game of the season.

The goal we conceded was unavoidable; what we can do and are doing is to rectify all our mistakes and do better in the upcoming matches. We are a team of young players, and we are still learning, and we will do our best in the future.”

Leadership and Bikash Yumnam go hand in hand. He got his first taste of captaincy in senior football when he led Roundglass Punjab FC (now Punjab FC) against Aizawl FC in the I-League 2021-22 season. And what made his captaincy debut a memorable one was his winning goal in the 93rd minute to get his side the three points.

It was hence not new for young Bikash to lead his Chennaiyin side against Indian Army FT in the Durand Cup. “For me, as a young player, it’s a moment of honour to lead the team. I thank the coach and the team management for giving me this role and believing in me as this has made me more confident in my game,” the youngster said after delivering a great shift despite the result not favoring his side.

Bikash Yumnam made 20 appearances in the Indian Super League (ISL) last season and was a key part of coach Owen Coyle’s team which qualified for the playoffs.

“It was a great experience for me in the last season. Coach gave me the opportunity to a young player like me to go out and give my best. Even my teammates – the senior players, the foreigners have been a great support system for me throughout the season and I have learned a lot from them as well.”

“Coach Coyle treats us like his sons and entrusts us to deliver our best on the pitch. He has been a friendly, fatherly figure both on and off the field which has eventually given me more confidence during the games,” Bikash added on Owen Coyle’s role in his performance in the last season.

In the last few seasons, the Durand Cup have become the curtain-raiser for the long footballing season ahead and has seen some youngsters make their name in it. Speaking about the tournament Bikash said, “It’s a very old and prestigious tournament and it has allowed us to get valuable game time and learn from it. It’s the beginning of the season, we are here to give our best and gain as much experience as we can for the long season ahead.”

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