ISL 2025-26: Top 10 Indian players from this season

Anwar, Bipin & Edmund star as East Bengal lift ISL trophy

The Indian Super League (ISL) 2025-26 witnessed a fairy-tale ending for East Bengal FC, who lifted a league title after a 22-year wait. The Red and Gold Brigade were crowned as the champions after a nail-biting contest against Inter Kashi in the final matchday.

It was a different and difficult season by all means for clubs and players, but we still had a lot of positives to take away.

221 goals were scored across 91 games this season as East Bengal got their hands on the elusive ISL trophy, bringing a pause to Mohun Bagan SG’s dominance.

While foreign players dominated headlines and statistics, Indian players also stood up to the occasion. On that note, let us take a look at the top ten Indian players from the ISL season gone by.

1. Anwar Ali

Anwar Ali has undoubtedly been one of the standout Indian players this year. He led the title charge for East Bengal with his robust defending and lethal attacking skills.

He has developed himself into India’s finest ball playing defender and the results are there for everyone to see. Ali racked up five goal contributions with three goals and two assists while recording 73 defensive contributions and 54 ball recoveries in just 12 games. 

2. Bipin Singh

Bipin Singh has always been regarded as one of the best Indian players that the league has produced. He is a proven winner having won four titles with Mumbai City FC before inspiring East Bengal to their first league title in 22 years. Singh brings in a lot of pace and technical brilliance into the attacking lineup.

He registered 57 crosses in 13 outings, the best by an Indian player and also scored and assisted two goals each in the process. 

3. Hrithik Tiwari

Hrithik Tiwari has been one of the stories of the ISL season gone by. He has come up through the ranks at FC Goa and has written his story in golden letters.

From being a backup keeper to winning the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper in the league, Hrithik has come a long way. He managed to keep five clean sheets this season, the joint most by any player. Tiwari recorded the highest save percentage in the league at 78.1% and conceded just seven goals, the least by any goalkeeper.

4. Liston Colaco

Liston Colaco was an unstoppable force at the left flank for Mohun Bagan SG this season. He was a real threat to the opposition defenders with his raw pace and pinpoint passing accuracy.

Colaco is one of the fastest Indian players in the league and he uses his pace and trickery to outsmart the defenders on multiple occasions. He executed 306 passes to perfection with an accuracy of nearly 75% and created 34 chances. The 27-year-old completed 17 dribbles and executed 4 assists, the most by any Indian.

5. Edmund Lalrindika

Edmund Lalrindika was one of the driving forces behind East Bengal’s title triumph. The Indian striker arrived in Kolkata on the back of a brilliant season with Inter Kashi and lived up to all the hype and expectations.

Lalrindika found the back of the net four times in his first season for the Red and Gold Brigade and also scored the deciding goal in the high voltage Kolkata derby. Edmund finished the league as the joint top Indian goalscorer.

6. PN Noufal

PN Noufal was the shining star for Mumbai City FC this season. It was his best ever ISL season till date both in terms of numbers and impact. Noufal established himself as one of Petr Kratky’s go to man at the top with his attacking instincts and five goal contributions.

He netted three back-to-back goals and rescued seven points singlehandedly for the Islanders. His heroics up front also earned him his maiden national team callup for the 2026 Unity Cup. 

7. Rahim Ali

Rahim Ali was one of the few positives for Odisha FC this season. While the club finished in the bottom half of the standings, Rahim came up with committed and impactful performances throughout the campaign.

He operated across multiple positions and gave Odisha FC a lot of flexibility to utilise his services. The centre-forward netted three goals and provided two assists while 36 defensive contributions and 20 ball recoveries. 

8. Joseph Sunny

Joseph Sunny turned up brilliantly for Sporting Delhi in their debut ISL season. He was Delhi’s best Indian player by all means. Sunny is one of the newest names in the list which shows that he is just getting started.

He scored three goals and created a couple of assists to wrap up his first season with Delhi. His best performance came in Guwahati against NorthEast United where he single handedly won the game for his side with three goal contributions.

9. Ryan Williams

Ryan Williams wrapped up his first season as an Indian origin player with a satisfactory performance. Williams was the top scorer for Bengaluru FC and also finished the league as the joint highest Indian goalscorer with four strikes under his belt.

The right winger recorded 37 touches inside the opposition box in 13 games and also completed 12 dribbles in the process. Williams also created a lot of impact with his tactical brilliance and off the ball movements across various matches.

10. Ebindas Yesudasan

Ebindas Yesudasan has been one of the emerging Indian players this season. He was one of the most influential players for the Kerala Blasters in the middle of the park and displayed his high-quality playmaking skills with a lot of maturity.

Ebindas racked up some brilliant assists. He was averaging an assist every 123 minutes and created 13 chances, including one big chance. Yesudasan is just 21 and he surely has a bright future ahead of him.

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