The four foreigners’ rule was implemented in the Indian Super League (ISL) in 2021-22. As a result, despite certain setbacks, all clubs were forced to field Indians in many departments.
This resulted in local recruiting and promotion by all of the teams, as well as the discovery of some outstanding talent in a variety of positions on the field. It also allowed teams to give Indian players in their squads additional playing time and minutes.
Here is the list of top five clubs that gave Indian players the most playing time in the ISL 2021-22 season are listed below:
Jamshedpur FC: 13967 minutes
Jamshedpur FC’s first trophy, the ISL League Winners’ Shield, was won by Owen Coyle. JFC went from seven wins overall last season to a seven-match winning streak at the close of this season.
For this, they enlisted the help of a talented group of foreigners and Indians, including Greg Stewart and skipper Peter Hartley, as well as Laldinliana Renthlei (1765′), Ritwik Das, Pronay Halder, Jitendra Singh (1546′), and TP Rehenesh (1800′).
SC East Bengal: 14251 minutes
This season, SC East Bengal ended 11th in the standings. However, when compared to other teams in the league, the Indians in the side had some of the highest minutes. This was also because the team had the fewest foreigners in it and the manager changed throughout the season. Despite this, Hira Mondal (1378′), Mohammad Rafique (1075′), and Sourav Das (1353′) were recruited.
ATK Mohun Bagan: 14421 minutes
This season, ATK Mohun Bagan made the playoffs for the second time in a row. Despite a 15-match unbeaten streak, they almost missed out on the ISL League Winners’ Shield due to a late loss. They did, however, construct a star-studded team capable of adapting to both Antonio Habas and Juan Ferrando.
Liston Colaco (1715′) is the clearest illustration of this, as he began his career as a winger before being shifted forward and eventually being the Indian league’s top scorer this season (8).
They also used the services of some of their other regulars. Subhasish Bose, Pritam Kotal, Manvir Singh, Deepak Tangri, and Amrinder Singh are just a few of the names on their roster.
Kerala Blasters: 14677 minutes
For the third season in their history, the Kerala Blasters finished second. This season, though, was one of their best, as they made the playoffs for the first time in five years. They only had three more losses the rest of the season after losing their opener.
We saw several fantastic performances from young talent at this time. For example, goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill (1754′), Sahal Abdul Samad (1543′), Ruivah Hormipam (1124′), Jeakson Singh (1596′), and goalie Sahal Abdul Samad (1543′).
Hyderabad FC: 14905 minutes
Hyderabad FC, which is known for nurturing young players for the Indian national team, took use of their abilities and won the ISL this season. To accomplish this feat, head coach Manolo Marquez efficiently utilized young energy — both from last season’s retained group as well as younger choices this time around.
For example, fullbacks Akash Mishra (2026′) and Asish Rai (1375′), as well as other notable Indians like Chinglensana Singh, Souvik Chakrabarti, Mohammad Yasir, Aniket Jadhav, and shot-stopping veteran Laxmikant Kattimani (2010′), whose performances in the final penalty shootout would receive them the title. As a result, experts and fans alike praised their campaign and its contribution to national television once again.
Read: ISL 2021-22 End of Season Awards: Everything you need to know about the award winners
