Exclusive: Hyderabad FC's Ayush Adhikari speaks about earliest memories of the game, summer move & more

Ayush Adhikari joined Hyderabad FC from Chennaiyin FC.

Faced with financial distress, Indian Super League (ISL) club Hyderabad FC was rescued by the Jindal Group’s acquisition. The lifting of transfer bans triggered intense activity, with the club completing numerous player signings in the final hours of the transfer window. One of the players they brought in the summer was defensive midfielder Ayush Adhikari from Chennaiyin FC.

The 24-year-old’s path to Hyderabad FC includes a unique international chapter. The Delhi midfielder spent four formative years in Germany as part of the U Dream football program. Following his start at Ozone FC, his domestic career saw him play for Kerala Blasters FC until 2023, followed by a stint at Chennaiyin FC before joining Hyderabad FC in 2024.

Ayush Adhikari sat down with Khel Now for an exclusive interview discussing various topics. Here are some excerpts from the interview:

On his earliest memories of the game

A player’s first memories of the game are foundational and crucial in sparking a lifelong passion and emotional connection. These early experiences instil fundamental skills and values like sportsmanship, shaping their long-term motivation and drive. In essence, these initial encounters are the seeds of a player’s relationship with the sport and provide Ayush with a constant source of inspiration.

He stated, “So I started playing football at a young age when I was 7-8 years old; I mainly started playing the game because of my father. That is because he was a coach at a local academy back home, and since then, I have had a huge passion for football. The only thing I wanted to become was a professional footballer. I wanted to play for the country; that was my only dream, and I am grateful I am doing it right now.”

On his move to Hyderabad FC

Ayush Adhikari’s career took an unexpected turn at the beginning of this season as he transitioned to Hyderabad FC. This move is particularly noteworthy given his prior involvement with the Kerala Blasters squad that faced Hyderabad FC during their 2021 championship season. Ayush has acknowledged the surprising nature of this transfer, stating that he never anticipated playing for the team he once opposed in such a pivotal match.

While talking about the switch to the Nizams, he stated, “To be honest, when I played against Hyderabad FC in their championship season, at that time, I was not aware of where I would be going next. It was unexpected, but I am grateful to be here now. I am happy with how we have been training, and as I said, it is always nice to be back in the starting lineup and contribute to the team. Here I am happy that I can help the team in any way, and I wish to continue doing so.”

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On transition between different teams

Having previously played for Kerala Blasters FC and Chennaiyin FC, Ayush Adhikari acknowledges that his transition to Hyderabad FC was challenging. However, he also emphasized successfully adapting to his new surroundings.

Adhikari shared, “Yeah, I think I spent much time with the Blasters, and then a season in Chennai and now in Hyderabad, and I think there is a big transition for me, but the only thing I would say is that I enjoyed playing football in each club, every club I have been. I took some time initially to adjust because of comparatively less time for pre-season, but now I have adapted well here, and it feels good.”

Ayush Adhikari’s contribution to the Nizams

The 24-year-old began the season as a regular starter for Hyderabad FC. Following a minor injury, his role shifted to that of an impactful substitute in the second half of the season, where he consistently contributed significantly to the team’s performance with his energy and quality of play.

He stated, “For me, I think it is like I was starting most of the games in the first leg of the season, but now I am not getting that much chance, but as a professional, I am keeping myself ready and trying to maintain myself that whenever I get the chance, whenever I step in, I should complete the requirement, whatever the team needs, it does not matter in the last 20 minutes, 30 minutes or like the game I started last game and it was like same as me like I have done before.”

On balance between attack and defense

A defensive midfielder occupies a critical position, maintaining defensive stability and initiating attacking transitions. Ayush explained the importance of this balance, stating that a successful CDM must possess both of these abilities.

He explained, “To play as a CDM in this formation is a huge responsibility because the team revolves around you, and the pace of the game also revolves around you, so it depends on what we want as a midfielder; we want to make the game fast, or we want to make the game slow, or what the team requires like in a game when we were having a lead of 1-0 so we were trying to step back a little bit and trying to maintain the lead but as soon as we got conceded two goals then we wanted to speed it up a little more and trying to do more attacking football.”

Challenges faced as a CDM

Ayush recognizes that the role of a defensive midfielder is not easy and is one of the most demanding roles on the pitch. He emphasizes that the nature of the role demands constant battle with experienced players, often foreigners and explains the challenges he has faced in the role.

While referring to his on-field experiences, Adhikari noted, “Sometimes when you have experienced players playing against you like Hugo Boumous, it is tough to track him all the 90 minutes because you do not know what he is gonna do next or when he has the ball or any of his off-the-ball movements, for which one needs to be at your best for the 90 minutes because experienced players like him can punish you at a second like he did in the second goal against us in the Odisha FC game.”

Responsibility as one of the seniors on the team

Ayush values his position within the team as one of the senior members of a relatively younger squad. Drawing from his experience at Kerala Blasters and Chennaiyin FC, he readily exchanges advice with teammates by sharing his insights and offering support.

While stating his love for the role, he states, “We have all grown a lot closer as a team now. I enjoy working with these guys a lot, and I would love to be in a senior position to help my teammates. However, I do not take much pressure on being a very serious guy, and I would rather be a friendly senior who offers advice. However, I love being in a situation like this because that is something I love to do by helping and guiding my fellow mates while learning things from them as well.”

Working under different coaching regimes

Hyderabad FC underwent a mid-season coaching transition, with Thangboi Singto initially managing the team, followed by Shameel Chembakath. Ayush stated notable similarities in the coaching philosophies employed by both managers.

While talking about his own experience, he stated, “Both of them are great coaches, and I would say that there is not a huge difference like the idea, philosophy, and everything is probably a little bit same, and there is just a slight difference between the training regimen, what we used to do under Coach Thangboi and Coach Shameel but I think that both personally and as a group we have adapted to both of them quite well.”

Thoughts on team’s position and the season

Despite a challenging season that saw Hyderabad FC miss the playoffs and languish at the bottom of the table, Adhikari maintains a positive outlook. While believing there have been valuable takeaways, he is determined to conclude the season on a high note.

He stated, “When you look at our team’s performance in the later part of the season, I think we have improved a lot in an attacking aspect, which has been a strength, and defensively, we have to work a lot, and I think we have to cut down the individual errors because that is what costed us in every match and we just wanted to end the season on a good note”

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