Top five clubs that provided most minutes to Indian players in ISL 2021-22

Each of these sides relied on homegrown stars to carry their season through.

The 2021-22 Indian Super League (ISL) saw the introduction of the four foreigners rule. As a result, despite initial hiccups, all clubs had to field Indians in several departments. This saw local recruitment and promotion by all the clubs, while also leading to the discovery of some brilliant talent in multiple positions on the pitch. It also helped clubs afford more gametime and more minutes to the Indian players in their respective squads.

On that note, here are the top five clubs that gave Indian players the most minutes in the 2021-22 season.

Note: ISL league stage and playoffs minutes included.

5. Jamshedpur FC - 13967 minutes

Owen Coyle led Jamshedpur FC to their first piece of silverware, the ISL League Winners' Shield. From seven wins overall last season to a seven-match winning streak at the end this time, JFC had a complete turnaround.

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For this, they used a fine combination of experienced foreigners and Indians such as Greg Stewart and skipper Peter Hartley, alongside Laldinliana Renthlei (1765'), Ritwik Das, Pronay Halder, Jitendra Singh (1546') and TP Rehenesh (1800') among others.

4. SC East Bengal - 14251 minutes

SC East Bengal finished 11th in the standings this season. However, Indians in the side had some of the highest minutes compared to others in the league.

This was also the result of having the least number of foreigners in the squad and managerial changes throughout. Nonetheless, it led to harnessing talents like Hira Mondal (1378'), Mohammad Rafique (1075') and Sourav Das (1353').

3. ATK Mohun Bagan - 14421 minutes

ATK Mohun Bagan made it to the playoffs for the second consecutive time this season. Despite a 15-match unbeaten run, a loss at a crucial juncture saw them narrowly lose out on the ISL League Winners' Shield. However, they assembled a star-studded squad that would adapt well to both Antonio Habas and Juan Ferrando.

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The best example of this is Liston Colaco (1715') who started off as a wing-back and then be moved upfront — ending up as the league's Indian top scorer this season (8). Alongside, they utilized the services of their other regulars. For instance, Subhasish Bose, Pritam Kotal, Manvir Singh, Deepak Tangri and Amrinder Singh to name some from their arsenal.

2. Kerala Blasters - 14677 minutes

Kerala Blasters finished as runners-up for the third time in their history. However, this campaign was one of their finest-- as they reached their first playoffs in five years. After losing their opener, they had just three more losses in the entire season.

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During this, we saw excellent performances from home-grown talent. For instance, Sahal Abdul Samad (1543'), Ruivah Hormipam (1124'), Jeakson Singh (1596') and goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill (1754') -- who eventually won the Golden Glove award.

1. Hyderabad FC - 14905 minutes

Known for developing youngsters for the Indian national team, HFC utilized their talents and eventually won this edition of the ISL. Head coach Manolo Marquez optimally used young energy — both from last season's retained set as well as newer options this time around to achieve this feat.

For instance, full-backs Akash Mishra (2026') and Asish Rai (1375') along with other prominent Indians such as Chinglensana Singh, Souvik Chakrabarti, Mohammad Yasir, Aniket Jadhav and shot-stopping veteran Laxmikant Kattimani (2010') — whose heroics in the final penalty shootout would earn them their title.

As an obvious result, their campaign and it's contribution to the national time yet again earned praise from experts and fans alike.

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