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Running parallel to the glitzy and glamorous Indian Super League is its older cousin I-League. Although it has been given a step-motherly treatment with post-lunch and 5:00 p.m. kick-off timings, the standard of the game is almost equal to that of the ISL, you could say.
The fans tend to forget that it is the I-League which is the premier competition of India and not the ISL. The winners of the 2018-19 I-League will receive a playoff spot for the AFC Champions League. On the other hand, the ISL champions will only get a playoff spot for the AFC Cup.
This year's I-League has been an intriguing affair so far. Chennai City FC are the runaway leaders and are yet to lose a game. A total of six clubs - Churchill Brothers, Gokulam Kerala, Mohun Bagan, Minerva Punjab, Real Kashmir and East Bengal - are looking to catch up and dethrone the leaders.
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Also Read: I-League 2018-19: Best Indian XI so far
Here is the combined 11 of the 2018-19 Hero I-League so far.
Honorable Mentions
Pintu Mahata (Mohun Bagan AC)
Pintu Mohata has been phenomenal for Mohun Bagan in the wings so far. After the departure of Nikhil Kadam to an ISL club, the Mohun Bagan youth academy product was handed a cap by coach Sankarlal Chakraborty.
He has been lively on the wings and has delivered a lot of deadly crosses. However, he is yet to write his name in the scoresheet owing to his profligacy in front of the goal.
Arjun Jayaraj (Gokulam Kerala)
Gokulam Kerala's Arjun Jayaraj plays in the hole between the strikers and the midfielders. He scored against Churchill Brothers to restore the parity in a 1-1 draw wherein he was adjudged the Hero of the Match.
However, the position is taken by the Shillong Lajong captain. Till then, he gets an honourable mention to the combined XI.
Danish Farooq (Real Kashmir FC)
Hailed as the Kashmiri Ronaldo, fan-favourite Danish Farooq can play both in the wings and centrally. Danish assisted Bazie Armand in giving the insurance goal to the home side after connecting Surchandra Singh's corner.
While he is one of the standout players of Real Kashmir, he has to up his ante if he wants to become so of the entire I-League. Till then, he gets an honourable mention in this list.
#11 Goalkeeper- Bilal Khan (Real Kashmir FC)
Bilal Khan has held his ground firmly between the posts for Real Kashmir FC this season. The team from the northernmost state of India has only conceded three goals in their five games. Much of that credit has to be given to Bilal, who has three clean sheets to his name.
The 1.95m tall keeper is known for his brilliant positioning and using his height to the fullest to make saves. Even in the season opener against Minerva Punjab, he produced two fantastic saves against William Opoku to deny him in the 12th and 48th minutes.
A lot of players like Michael Soosairaj, Pandiyan Srinivasan, Robert Lakra, and Ricky Lallawmama jumped to better-paying ISL clubs after their excellent display in the I-League. Khan, a former Gokulam goalkeeper, can make the jump too.
#10 Right back- Edwin Vanspaul (Chennai City FC)
Chennai City FC is known for getting the best out of their Indian contingent and transforming them into breakout stars. Soosairaj and Pandiyan were the standout Indian players last season with both of them plying their trade in the ISL now.
This year, the breakthrough Indian player for the team is Edwin Vanspaul. The 26-year-old performed brilliantly for his native club apart from the rare blemish he had against Mohun Bagan's Sony Norde.
The winger was moved to the right back position after Akbar Nawas took charge of the club. Prior to the game against the Green and Maroons, he had the highest percentage of successful tackles in the entire league. Moreover, he is also known for his brilliant vision as he has two assists to his name.
Edwin Vanspaul's partnership with Romario Jesuraj down the right wing is something the opposition defenders are wary about.
#9 Centre Back- Mason Robertson (Real Kashmir FC)
Mason Robertson, son of Real Kashmir coach David Robertson, came to India at his father's request. The 24-year-old is a towering figure in the heart of the defence and the strikers have a hard time beating him. The former Scottish third division player has already found his mojo despite the other foreigners struggling to find it.
Furthermore, he is also a threat to the opposition as the side from Srinagar mainly resort to long balls for their attack. Mason's ambitious long balls to Gnohere Krizo are mostly accurate for Kashmir.
In the recent game against Indian Arrows, the center-back played as a second striker to Krizo and created havoc for the Indian Arrows defenders continuously.
#8 Centre Back- Borja Perez (East Bengal)
Borja Gomez Perz followed the Spanish manager Alejandro Menéndez García all the way to India to add to the Spanish flavour in East Bengal. The former La Liga defender started all the four games for the Red and Golds and has not picked up a single yellow card. He will be partnering Mason Robertson in our I-League Combined XI.
Borja Perez also has a goal to his name as he bundled the ball at the back of the net from Lalramchullova's free-kick to give his side a momentary lead. Sadly, the game ended in favour of the opposition as Aizawl managed to win 3-2.
East Bengal have already conceded six goals from four matches, meaning only the bottom three sides have a worse record than them. If it weren't for Borja, they could have let in more.
#7 Left Back - Abhishek Ambekar (Mohun Bagan)
Minerva Punjab won the 2017-18 I-League much to the surprise of all. Following Aizawl FC's track, big clubs like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, and Bengaluru FC roped in the majority of the players from the champions. While the rest are struggling to find their mojo in their new club, Abhishek Ambekar has made the left back position his home in the Green and Maroons.
He has been instrumental both defensively and offensively. In the recent match against Chennai City FC, his partnership with Sony Norde in the left flank was difficult for Edwin and Gaurav Bora to contain.
Abhishek Ambekar has started all the six games for his side. If he continues his spirited performance, he might eventually shift to the ISL.
#6 Right Winger- Alexander Romario Jesuraj (Chennai City FC)
Partnering Edwin up in the right wing for Chennai City FC and the Combined XI is Tamil Nadu's very own Alexander Romario Jesuraj. The 22-year-old kickstarted Chennai City FC's campaign with a bang as he put the final nail in the coffin in the season opener against Indian Arrows.
In the game against Aizawl FC at their own den, he delivered a wonderful cross from the right wing towards Sandro Rodriguez. The Spaniard had the goal at its mercy and tapped it in to score the all-decisive winning goal.
Romario is just one of the handful of Indian internationals groomed by Chennai City FC this season. For his dedicated performance in the right wing and ensuring the left backs have a nightmare against him, he becomes the first winger in our I-League combined XI so far.
#5 Central Attacking Midfielder - Samuel Lalmuanpuia (Shillong Lajong)
Samuel Lalmuanpuia was entrusted with the captain's armband last season at the tender age of 19. He didn't disappoint as he scored 4 goals in the 19 appearances last season. This season, he was again given the responsibility of leading the side, which is playing without any foreigner.
It would be preposterous to say he has lived up to that task as the side is languishing at the 10th place. However, he is playing wonderfully in the hole, linking the midfield and the attack. As a result, he gets a spot in our combined XI.
In the game against Churchill Brothers, he scored the equalizer for his side after guiding the ball in from outside the box. In the match against East Bengal, he fed a wonderful cross towards Rakesh Pradhan who headed the ball home.
#4 Central Defensive Midfielder - Charles Anandraj Lorduswamy (Chennai City FC)
Charles Anandraj is another Indian player that has been groomed wonderfully by Akbar Nawas. The defensive midfielder has ensured the Southerners have the upper hand in the midfield battle by continuously dispossessing the opposing midfielders.
Charles is also tough to dispossess and is calm while the opponents put pressure on him. Even in the set-pieces, he marks out the tallest player in the opposition team and doesn't give them much room. His contributions in the defence can't be underestimated as he makes up for the mistake Gaurav Bora commits.
Defensive midfielders are usually the unsung hero of the matches, and Charles is no exception.
#3 Left winger - Nestor Gordillo (Chennai City FC)
A lot of foreigners find their first season in India to be a tiring one. A lot of time ends up in adjusting to the varying climatic conditions, making sure that they don't put their best foot forward in the matches. Even World Cuppers like Joan Capdevilla and Leo Bertos faltered.
However, all the foreign recruits of the Chennai City foreigners are in top shape and leading them from the front is Nestor Gordillo. The former Atletico Madrid B midfielder penned the deal with Chennai City FC this season and already has four goals to his name.
Moreover, he even has three assists to his name, meaning that he has been involved in 7 of the 16 goals scored in one way or another. Due to his exceptional striking abilities and the knack of finding pockets of space, he becomes our left winger in the combined XI.
#2 Striker - Jobby Justin (East Bengal)
Khalid Jamil (former East Bengal, Aizawl FC and Mumbai FC coach) is known for bringing out the best in unheralded Indian players. He is credited with shaping up the careers of a lot of players like Jayesh Rane, Ashutosh Mehta, Brandon Vanlalremdika, Lalramchullova and Laldanmawia Ralte.
The East Bengal authorities constantly kept a check on him when he took over the club. As a result, he didn't have the freedom to work his way. But he did find time to mold Jobby Justin, handing him 9 matches in the I-League. The Keralite even scored two goals in those nine matches and had a decent season.
This season, he has already found the back of the net three times in four games. He has also established a brilliant striking partnership with Enrique Esqueda. The two have combined to score 6 goals for the Red and Golds this season.
#1 Striker - Willis Plaza (Churchill Brothers SC)
A year ago, if you had the notion that Willis Plaza could become the top goalscorer of the 2018-19 I-League, you would have been laughed upon. The Trinidad and Tobago player had an abysmal outing with East Bengal and only scored 2 goals.
As a result, he was released in January itself and penned a deal with Churchill Brothers. He failed to find the back of the net for them for the remainder of the league.
But, this year, he has re-invented himself. 6 goals in 6 matches, including a hat-trick against Shillong Lajong, has made Willis Plaza the top goalscorer of the I-League so far. His recent form has been prolific as he smashed the ball past the net in each of their last three games.
Of course, he could have scored more if he went for precision rather than power in his shots. But, until then, he is our main striker in the combined XI of the I-League.
Do you agree with our list? Do let us know your thoughts in the comments section below and let us know your combined XI.
