GUWAHATI, July 22 - The Sunday�s Hero Indian Super League 2017-18 Indian Player Draft promises to be an exciting affair as the footballing minds of the ten ISL clubs would put their strategy into action in a bid to seek signatures of some of the best domestic players.
All ten ISL clubs have completed their respective international head coach signings. Assisted by the Indian coaches, the head coach will represent their respective clubs at the team table at the ISL Player Drafts 2017.
Contrary to the notion, the Indian Player Draft 2017 has suddenly assumed importance as many top Indian international players are now available for the �Super Sunday� signing. Thanks to Delhi Dynamos opting not to retain any domestic players, while FC Pune City letting go of experienced boys for young keeper Vishal Kaith- the ISL Player Draft has opened up with interesting names.
The ISL mandate of maximum two player retention also ensured all clubs, especially the new entrant Jamshedpur FC, gets a level playing field.
Best national and promising talents: Not surprisingly, the addition of experienced national players like Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Anas Edathodika, Thoi Singh, Rino Anto, Jackichand Singh, Pritam Kotal, Robin Singh, Subrata Pal, Mehtab Hussain and many more are the key attractions of the Player Draft.
On other hand the Player Draft also offers wide variety of young promising talents like Lallianzuala Chhangte, Mawhmingthanga (Jerry), Rohit Kumar, Mohammad Yasir, Lalthakima, Sukhadev Patil, Farukh Haji Kasam Choudhary, Subhasish Bose, Germanpreet Singh, Lalrempuia Fanai.
Unknown talents: The Indian Player Draft also highlights names of relatively unknown budding footballers Umesh Perambra, Akshay Joshy and Ajith Sivan who caught the eyes of AIFF Scouts during the Reliance Foundation Youth Sports school and college football championship.
Demand for Indian keepers: It is expected that the goalkeepers would be the preferred picks in the early rounds as four clubs-Bengaluru FC, Kerala Blasters FC, Delhi Dynamos and Jamshedpur FC would like to fill this position which has assumed importance for the Indian goalkeepers due to League�s new rule of increasing Indian players in starting XI to 6. With less international players on field, clubs have changed their strategy to focus more on having an Indian keeper. Mumbai City FC, NorthEast United, Chennaiyin FC, FC Pune City, Atletico de Kolkata and FC Goa have taken the opportunity of the retention rules in securing their goalkeepers first.
Experienced Arindham Bhattacharja, Subrata Paul and Albino Gomes lead the list of 30 goalkeepers in the Player Draft. Each club is mandated to have three goalkeepers in the squad, stated a release issued here today.
