Mohun Bagan's three best players from Durand Cup 2025 group stages

Mohun Bagan won all three of their games in the Durand Cup group stages.

Mohun Bagan have started their 2025-26 season in dominant fashion by rolling through their opponents in the group stages of the 2025 Durand Cup. The Mariners won all three of their group games in style, scoring 12 goals and only conceding twice in the three meetings.

Jose Molina’s side made a statement of intent with a crushing 5-1 thrashing of the dangerous Diamond Harbour FC side in the final group game. They have definitely established themselves as heavy favorites to win the tournament, especially after registering their foreign players for the tournament as well.

Mohun Bagan produced some truly dominant performances in the group stages, with the majority of hteir players performing really well. However, a few particular individuals really stood through with their impactful performances and in terms of how sharp they looked on the pitch.

These individuals played a key role in helping the Mariners sail through the group stages and reach the knockout stages in style. Here we look at Mohun Bagan’s three best players from the 2025 Durand Cup.

3. Anirudh Thapa

Anirudh Thapa knows that he will be facing a stiff battle for a spot in Mohun Bagan’s midfield line for the 2025-26 season. With Lalengmawia Ralte already having his place secured in the lineup, that means there’s quite a bit of competition in the midfield pivot role, with the likes of Deepak Tangri and Abhishek Suryavanshi also in the midst.

However, Thapa proved his value for Molina’s side with a string of eye-catching performances in the Durand Cup group stages. He started in all three group games and looked really energetic despite having little preseason training prior to it.

The India international looked proactive with his movement in the midfield, working hard to regain possession in key areas and driving his side forward. He was really clever in breaking the lines with his clever forward passes and helping his forwards move into more menacing situations. Thapa scored a brilliant goal in the win over Diamond Harbour, proving his scoring qualities with a fantastic long-ranger effort, capping off a brilliant group stages for himself.

2. Sahal Abdul Samad

After being refreshed with a relatively lengthy off-season holiday, Sahal Abdul Samad returned to action for Mohun Bagan in the Durand Cup with a point to prove. He is aware of the change-up in the India national team coaching staff and seems determined to convince Khaldi Jamil to pick him for the upcoming international fixtures.

Samad was efficient and slick with his performances in the Durand Cup group stages, being unpredictable with his movement and clever link-up play.

He was often able to get in between the lines to destabilise the opposition’s defensive shape, opening up avenues for his teammates to pounce on. Not just that, but Sahal was also able to prove his goal-scoring qualities by sneaking into some key areas in the matches.

He scored two goals in the Durand Cup group stages, including a well-taken goal in the win over Diamoand Harbour and also bagging two assists in that game. Sahal appears ready to be the creator-in-chief for Mohun Bagan in the 2025-26 and keep his place as a regular starter.

1. Liston Colaco

Liston Colaco seems determined to make the 2025-26 season the one where he personally drove Mohun Bagan to major titles. He’s started the campaign in amazing fashion with a few blistering performances in the Durand Cup group stages, showcasing his ruthlessness in the final third.

Colaco looks surprisingly razor-sharp and really fit in the early parts of the new campaign, using his impressive pace and dribbling ability to torment defenders in the Durand Cup. He has scored five goals in the three Durand Cup matches so far, the most for any player in the competition so far.

Colaco has been impressive from set-pieces, scoring an excellent free kick against Mohammedan Sporting and taken his chances clinically in the final third. He’ll aim to maintain consistency with his goal contributions and continue putting away the efforts ruthlessly to help Mohun Bagan dominate their way to clinch the Durand Cup title.

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