Top 5 Players who made their debut in ISL 2019-20 season

The Indian Super League can be gruelling to some people. With teams playing more than one occasion within a week sometimes, covering the length and breadth of the continental size of the country, the travelling can take a toll on the newcomers.

Couple that with the adverse climatic conditions, a lot of players struggle to perform anywhere near their best and a sharp decline is seen in their performance levels. Moreover, the uneven pitches on a couple of venues like Bhubaneswar and Hyderabad could have proven to be a major hurdle.

But, these players didn't take much time to acclimatize. From unheralded players plying their trade in the obscurity of Goa to A-League marquee players, these footballers lit up the league in their debut season.

Without any further ado, here are top 5 players who made their debut in ISL 2019-20 season.

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#5 Jessel Carneiro (Kerala Blasters FC)

Kerala Blasters made a lot of noise in the transfer window with big names like Bartholomew Ogbeche, Gianni Zuiverloon, and Sergio Cidoncha shifting their base whereas others like Sandesh Jhingan and Sahal Abdul Samad extending their loyalty.

Among the 19 new faces, Jessel Carneiro's name would have been the most unheard one. But, after playing every minute of football this season for an injury-laden Kerala Blasters, he has signed a three-year extension and has made the left-back position his home.

One of the marvellous traits of Jessel is his ability to concede fewer fouls. The Goan lad has conceded only 7 fouls in the 1620 minutes he has been on the pitch. A mammoth figure of 78 clearances, coupled with 28 tackles, 22 interceptions, and 22 blocks, makes him a complete defender.

Kerala Blasters like to overlap their full-backs a lot. It has seen Jessel bag 5 assists while whipping in 55 crosses. Having made the most number of passes for his team, Jessel averages at 41.44 passes per game.

Making the transition from the Goa Pro League, which is at the fourth-tier of Indian football, to cementing his supremacy in the topmost tier of a country at the age of 29 is no mean feat. But, Jessel has shown that anything is possible with determination and hard work.

#4 Sumit Rathi (ATK)

Sumit Rathi has been a rock while guarding the left flank for ATK

Another Indian player who has gained considerable praise this season with his performance is ATK's 18-year-old defender Sumit Rathi. Having played for their reserve team in I-League Second Division, the youngster lit the scene up with some great individual performances.

ATK's head coach Antonio Lopez Habas promoted him to the senior side and the youngster made his debut as a substitute in their goalless draw against Odisha FC. But, Sumit's best performance came up against Mumbai City FC away from home.

He was tasked to check Modou Sougou's run and the Uttar Pradesh-born left-back ensured the Senegalese didn't have space to exploit. He made 3 interceptions and 10 clearances in that match and deservedly won the 'Hero of The Match' award.

ATK have a very fluid defensive shape. They are comfortable playing with three, four, or five in the back. And, Sumit has adapted himself to play accordingly either as a left-back, left centre-back in the three-man defence, or as a part of their wing halves.

With age at his side and the national team having a dearth of quality defenders, Sumit is one to look out for the future.

#3 Nerijus Valskis (Chennaiyin FC)

Nerijus Valskis has been in hot form after a rough start this season

The Chennaiyin FC management struggled in the initial phase to convince the ISL authorities to register Nerijus Valskis as a foreign player. It was only after the club made a separate pitch that he played previously for Israeli giant Hapoel Tel Aviv and represented Lithuania internationally that the league gave a thumbs up.

Chennaiyin FC strived hard in front of goals last season but could manage to bulge the back of the net only 16 times. Valskis himself has accounted for 13 goals and 5 assists this season and is proving himself to be a strong contender for the 'Golden Boot' award.

The Lithuanian is known for his top-notch finishing skills and ability to combine with the wingers, Lallianzuala Chhangte and Dragos Firtulescu while dropping at the flanks. After drawing a blank in the first four games, Valskis netted the injury-time winner in their late drama contest against Hyderabad FC. And, once Owen Coyle took charge of the team, there was no stopping him.

Valskis' hot form means he is in high demand in the transfer market. It remains to be seen whether Chennaiyin FC can retain them.

#2 Rafael Crivellaro (Chennaiyin FC)

Rafael Crivellaro is in top 5 for shots on target chart despite being a midfielder

If we are including Valskis in the list, it would be criminal to leave out his partner-in-crime Rafael Crivellaro. The Italian has played a pivotal part in Chennaiyin FC's resurgence under Owen Coyle with 7 goals and 6 assists to his name.

Averaging at 50.47 passes per game, Crivellaro has made 858 passes so far in the competition. He has also accumulated 43 shots and 33 crosses in the 17 matches he has been a part of.

Crivellaro's moment of the season came in Chennaiyin FC's match against NorthEast United where the 31-year-old let fly a long-range shot into the goal from the halfway mark. Deployed as an attacking midfielder, his ability to find teammates with inch-perfect through passes has led him to be one of the highest chance creators this season.

Crivellaro's stock should have risen considerably in the global market with his eye-catching performance. Other ISL clubs would have definitely pondered upon his signing and with stints in Iran, Poland, and UAE, it remains to be seen whether Crivellaro continues in India for another season.

#1 Roy Krishna (ATK FC)

Roy Krishna bagged the 'Hero of Month' in November as he helped ATK remain unbeaten in the month

The ISL has seen a lot of marquee players crumble under pressure for various reasons. Be it Alessandro del Piero in the inaugural season, who was way past his prime, or Tim Cahill in the previous season, who got injured midway and announced retirement later, the marquee players have failed to live up to their expectations more often than not.

But, the highest-paid player of this season's ISL was an exception. With an impressive CV in the A-League, Roy Krishna took the sixth edition of ISL by storm and almost helped them top the table and reach the AFC Champions League group stages.

With a reported annual salary of ₹9 crores, Krishna ensured the owners had their money worth as he scored 14 goals and bagged 5 assists so far. His familiarity and telepathic understanding with David Williams also resulted in the latter getting 5 goals and 4 assists to his name.

Krishna's side might not play in the AFC Champions League the next season. But, with the ISL trophy still up for grabs, ATK will rely on the Fijian more than ever to deliver on the big occasion and bring home the trophy for the third time in six seasons.