Football
ISL: Top 10 players with most appearances
Overall, as many as eight players have made 100+ appearances in the league.
Top 10 players with most ISL appearances
In this short yet happening time since Indian Super League came into existence in 2014, as many as eight players have gone on to play at least 100 matches in ISL. The latest person to join the group of elites is Rahul Bheke who has represented teams like Mumbai City FC, Bengaluru FC, Kerala Blasters and FC Pune City.
Although the defender does not seem to be the last player this season to cross that benchmark as quite a few players are just around the corner and heading fast at the milestone.
Here, let's take a look at the 10 players who have the most appearances in the league.
1. Mandar Dessai - 120
The player with the most appearances in the league is Mandar Dessai. The 29-year-old defender has only played for Mumbai City and FC Goa in ISL. Interestingly, prior to his move to Mumbai before the 2020-21 season, Mandar was one of the fewest players to have represented only a single team for six seasons straight. He also has the most goal contributions for an Indian defender with six goals and 12 assists.
2. Narayan Das - 114
The Chennaiyin FC defender is just six games shy from Mandar at second place. Narayan Das has represented teams like FC Goa, FC Pune City, Delhi Dynamos, Odisha FC and SC East Bengal. The left-back is yet to score his maiden goal in the league but has assisted seven times until now.
3. Lenny Rodrigues - 112
The 34-year-old midfielder currently plies his trade at ATK Mohun Bagan and boasts of being an integral part of the team. He has previously played in the league for FC Pune City, FC Goa and Bengaluru FC. Lenny has scored twice as many goals(4) than he has provided assists(2) for.
4. Harmanjot Khabra - 109
The versatile player sits at the fourth position who plays in defence for Kerala Blasters. The two-time Indian Super League winner has previously represented Bengaluru FC and Chennaiyin FC. But the real question is, can this lucky charm do wonders for the Tuskers?
5. Pritam Kotal - 104
The Indian Football Team mainstay defender Pritam Kotal is one of the Indian defenders to have the most goal contributions among the rest with five goals and seven assists over eight seasons. Pritam has played for FC Pune City, ATK and Delhi Dynamos while he currently captains ATK Mohun Bagan.
6. Sunil Chhetri - 102
Often known as the Captain Fantastic, Sunil Chhetri has 102 appearances under his belt for Mumbai City FC and Bengaluru FC in ISL. He has also scored 47 goals in those games and is just one shy from being the top scorer in Indian Super League's history.
6. Amrinder Singh - 102
The joint sixth along with Sunil is Amrinder Singh, his former team-mate at Mumbai City FC. The Punjab born shot-stopper won the Golden Glove award in 2016 and has made the most saves in the league's history at a total of 290, averaging 2.8 saves per game.
8. Rahul Bheke - 100
The man of the hour is the former Indian Super League champion with Bengaluru FC, Rahul Bheke. The Mumbai born defender joined Mumbai City FC ahead of this season and already has a goal involvement of two with one goal and an assist. He is the only Indian defender to score in ISL's final. His tally of 12 goal contributions is bettered only by Mandar Rao Dessai among Indian defenders.
9. Sandesh Jhingan - 98
The tall defender was once a fan-favourite at Kerala Blasters and left them for ATK Mohun Bagan in 2020. But just after a single season with the Kolkata outfit, Sandesh joined HNK Å ibenik and became the first-ever Indian to be signed by a Croatian team. Sandesh holds the record for the most number of appearances for Kerala Blasters.
10. Tiri - 96
Tiri is the only foreign player on the list with 96 appearances in the league so far. The Spanish defender is at ATK Mohun Bagan at the moment and has previously played for ATK and Jamshedpur FC. Tiri has scored three goals and has assisted another two so far in the league.
Note: Stats as of 27/12/2021
