ISL: List of all Emerging Player of the League award winners

ISL has been a supply line to many young talents in Indian football.

The Indian Super League (ISL) has long been the major platform for football in India. Since its commencement in 2014, several players have made their way into the national team banking on their performances in the league. 

Over the years, the popularity of the league has increased, which defines football’s rising importance in the country. Whether it’s a young gun or a veteran, each one gets ample opportunity to prove their worth against some of the top clubs of the nation. 

Certain young players emerge to prominence with their superior performances and make a statement about their future in football. Since 2014, every year the ISL has been awarding an emerging player based on the performances of the individuals. 

In this article, we will take a look at the players who have bagged the Emerging Player of the Season award in the ISL over the years. 

Sandesh Jhingan (2014)

The Indian football team’s flamboyant centre-back Sandesh Jhingan became the first player to be honoured with the Emerging Player of the League in the ISL. Jhingan who represented Kerala Blasters in the inaugural season, played a crucial role in his team’s march to the final. 

Sandesh has also gone on to represent the Indian national team in 63 matches and has also managed to score five goals as well as providing two assists. 

Jeje Lalpekhlua (2015)

Jeje Lalpekhlua emerged as one of the most talked-about players during his days of glory on the pitch while representing Chennaiyin FC. He bagged the Emerging Player of the League award in 2015, where he scored five goals in eight matches. 

Jeje has also represented the Indian team in 56 matches in his career and scored 23 goals. 

Jerry Lalrinzuala (2016)

Jerry Lalrinzuala was awarded the ISL Emerging Player of the League award in the year 2016. While representing Chennaiyin FC in the league in that particular year, Jerry controlled the backline with his clinical performances. 

Moreover, Jerry has also represented the Indian national team in nine matches so far in his career and has always been a crucial player for every team he has represented over the years. 

Lalruatthara (2017-18)

The left-back Lalruatthara became a household name in the 2017-18 season while representing Kerala Blasters. His performances made him a regular member of the Kerala team in the same season, where he represented the club in 17 matches in the ISL and also bagged the Emerging Player of the League award.

Unfortunately, Lalruatthara couldn’t keep his performances at the top in the subsequent years and lost the spotlight. 

Sahal Abdul Samad (2018-19)

Sahal Abdul Samad has turned out to be a regular member of the Indian squad in recent times. The midfielder came into the limelight with his performances in the 2018-19 season for Kerala Blasters. He also received the Emerging Player of the League award in the same year.

Representing Kerala in 17 matches in 2018-19, Sahal managed to score one goal. Moreover, he has represented the Indian team in 35 matches and has scored three goals.  

Sumit Rathi (2019-20)

The centre-back received the Emerging Player of the League award in 2019-20 for his clinical performances for ATK, where he represented the club in 11 matches. Interestingly, his club also went on to win the title in the same year. 

Rathi remained a solid stay for his team at the back in the same season. 

Lalengmawia Ralte (2020-21)

Better known as Apuia in the Indian football circuit, he bagged the ISL Emerging Player of the League award in the 2020-21 season for his tactical performances for NorthEast United. In the same season, he represented his club in 20 matches and also scored one goal. 

Apuia has also represented the Indian national team in 13 matches since his debut in 2021. Recently he played for Mumbai City, who won the ISL title in the 2023-24 season.

Naorem Roshan Singh (2021-22)

Another left-back who is on the list is Bengaluru FC’s Naorem Roshan Singh. Naorem has been a regular member of the team since his rise to fame in the 2021-22 season. 

He has played 59 matches in the ISL, all for a single club and has provided 10 assists in four seasons. Moreover, Naorem has represented the Blue Tigers in 10 matches since his debut in 2022. 

Sivasakthi Narayanan (2022-23)

Sivasakthi Narayanan received the Emerging Player of the League award last season. The centre-forward managed to score six goals for his team Bengaluru FC and provided two assists in the same season. 

He has played 42 ISL matches and scored eight goals.

Vikram Partap Singh (2023-24)

Vikram Partap Singh, the Emerging Player of the League awardee of the 2023-24 season gave the best performances of his career in the recently-concluded season of the Indian Super League by scoring seven goals and providing three assists in 20 matches. This also helped his team to win the title by defeating Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the final.

His performances for his club helped him to get a national call-up for the AFC Asian Cup, where he made his first appearance as a substitute against Australia.  

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.