Top five most impactful Indian players from ISL 2023-24

These Indian players took the limelight throughout the entirety of this ISL edition.

The 2023/24 Indian Super League proved to be an inspired one for the Indian players. Not only did the league give a platform to a number of breakthrough youngsters to show their quality, but the overall quality of the Indian players also showed signs of significant improvement.

The quality of the matches also improved and became more exciting, with Indian players dictating results all season long. With that being said, a few particular Indian players stood above the rest in terms of their impact on their team’s success. These players chose the perfect moments to decide results with their inspired performances and also maintained impressive consistency all season long. With that being said, here we look at the top five most impactful Indian players in the ISL.

5. Jay Gupta (FC Goa)

In his first season in the ISL, Jay Gupta proved to be a marvel for FC Goa. The Gaurs signed him before the campaign after seeing him spend the last few years playing in Portugal. Gupta took little time to adapt himself to Indian football and significantly improved their entire left wing. He was defensively sturdy, being able to read the opposition’s style well and make well-timed challenges.

Gupta also added an energetic burst with his attacking movement, timing his runs impressively and adding a lot of creativity down the left side. Gupta played in every one of FC Goa’s 25 matches in the 23/24 season, helping them to nine clean sheets. He averaged 44 passes a game, won 131 duels and 41 tackles. Moreover, Gupta also picked up five goal contributions (two goals, three assists) and is now in line to take over the left-back role in the India national team.

4. Vikram Partap Singh (Mumbai City)

Vikram Partap Singh keeps elevating his chances of being Indian football’s ‘next big thing’ with his impressive growth at Mumbai City FC. Under the tutelage of Petr Kratky, the 22-year-old enjoyed his best-ever season with the Islanders in an eventful 2023/24 campaign. Singh was able to win a regular place in the starting XI, making 23 appearances and often starting over Bipin Singh on that left-wing position.

He proved to be a menace for the opposition defenders, with his bursting forward runs, trickery and ability to sneak into dangerous positions. Vikram Pratap scored eight goals and provided four assists in the ISL, which included a hattrick in the 4-1 win over NorthEast United. He also won the ISL Emerging Player of the Season award, capping off a brilliant season with the ISL trophy.

3. Brandon Fernandes (FC Goa)

Brandon Fernandes retained his reputation as the most creative Indian player around by weaving his magic for FC Goa in the 2023/24 ISL. Despite missing a few matches, Fernandes was still able to trouble the opposition backline with his inch-perfect final passes to create chances. The 29-year-old was able to create 60 goal-scoring chances in the ISL, the joint-most for any player in the league last season.

He was only able to get four assists for that, but did score three goals as well – which included twice in the ISL playoffs. Fernandes’ ability to create chances with his exceptional set-piece delivery or his defence-splitting passes from open play is almost unmatched among Indian players and he kept on going strong for the Gaurs in an eventful campaign.

2. Manvir Singh (Mohun Bagan)

Manvir Singh enjoyed his most prolific season in ISL history in what was a historic campaign for Mohun Bagan. He made that right wing-back role his own in the Mariners team and seemed to realize exactly how to operate in that role. Despite having a bit of a slow first half of the campaign, Manvir’s performances exponentially improved after the arrival of Antonio Habas. He was a tormenting factor with his blistering runs through the right, using his movement to trouble defenders and the India international also improved his final product.

As a result, Singh scored four goals and provided seven assists – becoming the Indian player with the highest assists in the ISL campaign. He perfected his crosses and delivery from the right, while getting into the perfect areas to score goals – with his clinical goal contributions helping Mohun Bagan win the ISL shield.

1. Lallianzuala Chhangte (Mumbai City)

Lallianzuala Chhangte proved exactly why he’s the ideal candidate to take the mantle from Sunil Chhetri to take Indian football forward with his brilliant performances in the 2023/24 season. He enjoyed a memorable campaign for Mumbai City, often leading from the front with his decisive nature in the final third. In 25 ISL appearances for the Islanders, Chhangte scored 10 goals and provided six assists.

He scored more goals than any other Indian player in the league and also topped the overall goal contributions charts too. Chhangte was an absolute nightmare to play against, using his clever movement and ability to invert inside towards the middle to perfection. He showcased his ruthlessness in his brilliant brace in the 3-2 win over FC Goa in the ISL semi-final and played a huge part in guiding Mumbai City to the ISL title.  

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