Sandesh Jhingan (Kerala Blasters)
Before the inaugural ISL, very few Indians had heard of Sandesh Jhingan, but after the ISL had ended and Jhingan was awarded the ‘Emerging Player of the Tournament’ award, Sandesh Jhingan became a household name. After his successful ISL campaign, Jhingan made his senior team debut and has been a regular for the Indian national team.
The 'Minister Of Defence' was picked up by Kerala during the inaugural ISL drafts, and he has been an Integral part of the Kerala squad ever since. He was also the first player to be retained by Kerala for this season’s ISL. Before the third ISL season, a lot of franchises wanted to sign Sandesh by offering him over-the-moon type of salaries, but the sturdy Punjabi stayed loyal and played for Kerala Blasters.