Top 10 players with most appearances in an ISL final

This list has only two foreign players who have played the most number of ISL finals.

The Indian Super League final is the peak of club football in India, as with any cup competition, the eventual champions may not have been the best football team in the country. But consistently reaching the final is a sure sign of quality. Only a small group of players have been able to make it to the apex of the game and even fewer have repeatedly returned as the Champions. Over the years some players have stood out for their consistent performances in the tournament, earning them a spot among the top 10 players with the most ISL final appearances.

In this article, we will take a look at those names:

10. Bipin Singh – 2

On 1 August 2018, the Islanders completed the signing of Bipin on a two-year contract, It wasn’t until the 2020-21 Indian Super League season, with Spaniard Sergio Lobera in charge of the club, that Bipin finally came alive. He scored six goals in that season and was the best Indian player for the team. He also scored a dream match-winning goal in that season’s ISL final against ATK Mohun Bagan, as the Islanders did the Indian Super League Double for the first time. In the 2023-24 ISL final too, he came in as a substitute and scored a goal which helped Mumbai City to register a brilliant comeback over Bagan.

9. Rahul Bheke – 2

He is one the best right-backs in the country and is very well known for his consistency and leadership qualities. He played his first ISL final for Bengaluru FC in the 2018-19 season and scored the winning goal against FC Goa; this was the first ISL title for Bengaluru FC. Bheke was named man of the match of the final for his solitary goal in the 117th minute. After the 2020–21 ISL campaign, Bheke left Bengaluru after spending four seasons at the club. On 19 August 2021, Bheke joined Mumbai City FC on a two-year deal, In the 2023-24 season he played a crucial role as he helped the Islanders to win the ISL Trophy once again.

8. Roy Krishna – 3

Roy Krishna made his ISL debut in the 2019-2020 season with ATK. He scored 15 goals that season and helped his team to win the ISL Trophy for the third time. In the 2020-21 season which was in Covid Bio-Bubble, he led Mohun Bagan to the ISL final. Unfortunately, they lost to Mumbai City in the finals but he became the player of the season. After leaving Mohun Bagan he joined Bengaluru FC and in his first season he won the Durand Cup but once again in the final, Krishna faced disappointment as BFC lost to Mohun Bagan in the final on penalties.

7. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu – 3

Sandhu played a pivotal role in Bengaluru’s run in the 2017-18 Indian Super League season as they marched to the finals against Chennaiyin FC, which they came out losing 3–2. He got his first silverware in the 2018-19 season when BFC won 1-0 by defeating FC Goa. In the 2022-23 ISL final, unfortunately Bengaluru FC lost by penalties to Mohun Bagan; this was the third appearance for Sandhu in an ISL final.

6. Tiri – 3

Tiri won his first ISL title in the 2016 season when ATK defeated Blasters on penalties. After that, he went to Jamshedpur FC and spent three seasons. Once again, he came back to Kolkata joining Mohun Bagan for the 2020-21 season, where he lost the ISL final against the Islanders. On 6 July 2023, Tiri signed a one-year contract with Mumbai City FC as a free agent and helped his team to win the 2023-24 season ISL Trophy. He was one the best defenders in this season.

5. Subhashish Bose – 3

Bose joined Mohun Bagan from Mumbai City in the 2020-21 season. In the last few seasons, he has played a pivotal role in the success of Mohun Bagan in ISL. He helped the team to reach the final in the 2020-21 and 2022-23 season. He became the club captain in 2023-24 and led the defence with his strong personality but was not able to win the ISL title.

4. Vishal Kaith – 3

He was in between the sticks in the 2020 ISL final as Chennaiyin FC lost to ATK 3-1 at Fatorda Stadium. This was Vishal’s first-ever major final. He kept four clean sheets in 20 appearances in that season. He joined Mohun Bagan in 2022-23 and started in the ISL final against Bengaluru FC on 18 March 2023 which was his second. His recent-most appearance came in the 2023-24 finale.

3. Manvir Singh – 4

Manvir joined the Mariners in the 2020-21 season and has played a very important role in Mohun Bagan’s recent success in the Indian Super League. He started in the final against Mumbai City FC on 13 March 2021, which they lost 2-1 after Mumbai City found their all-important goal in the last minute of the match. However, he helped his team to win the ISL title in 2022-23. In the 2023-24 season, he won the League Shield and Durand Cup but lost to Mumbai City once again in the ISL final.

2. Pritam Kotal – 4

On 14 June 2016, it was announced that Kotal had signed with Atlético de Kolkata on loan. In his first season for the Kolkata club, he helped them win the ISL Trophy in which they defeated Kerala Blasters on penalties. Once again in the 2019-20 season, he won the ISL defeating Chennaiyin FC in the finals. He made his third ISL final appearance in the 2020-21 edition, and fourth one in 2022-23, where he helped Mohun Bagan to win the title. After that season, he left the club to join Kerala Blasters.

1. Sandesh Jinghan – 4

He is one of the unluckiest players in the history of the Indian Super League as he played in four ISL finals but ended up on the losing side every time. In the 2014 and 2016 editions with Kerala Blasters, he lost the ISL final both times to ATK. In the 2020-21 season when he joined Mohun Bagan, dreaming of winning the title, he lost once again in the final and in the 2022-23 season when he was playing for Bengaluru FC he lost in the final one more time.

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