Revision as of 21:32, 10 July 2015

2015

The Times of India, May 9, 2015

The striker has been the mainstay of the national football team for quite some time now and more often than not makes the difference for his team. With 14 strikes in last season's I-League, Sunil was the top-scorer and played a pivotal role in Bengaluru FC clinching the I-League title.Highest scorer for India at the international level, Sunil has won AIFF's Player of the Year award four times and was recently included by World Soccer magazine in a list of 500 most important players on the planet.

Indian Super League (ISL), Mumbai: 2015

The Times of India, Jul 10, 2015

Jamie Alter

Sunil Chhetri, Eugeneson Lyngdoh become millionaires at ISL auction

India national football captain Sunil Chhetri was the biggest earner at the inaugural Indian Super League (ISL) auction in Mumbai, going to Mumbai City FC for Rs 1.20 crore. Chhetri's team-mate at Bengaluru FC, central midfielder Eugeneson Lyngdoh, had become the ISL's first millionaire when was purchased by Pune FC for 1.05 crore from a base price of Rs 27 lakh, but it wasn't long before the Indian captain fetched the highest price of the auction. These two names, among ten of Indian football's best to go under the hammer for the first time after missing the 2014 ISL, were the only players to attract bids in excess of a crore. Coming in at third with a price of Rs 90 lakh was India defender Rino Anto, sold to defending ISL champions Atletico de Kolkata from a starting price of just 17 lakh.

A total of Rs 7.22 crore was spent on the ten players at the auction, with FC Goa and Kerala Blasters the only teams not to buy any player.

Chhetri, a four-time AIFF Player of the Year and India's leading goal scorer, had a base price of Rs 80 lakh. Surprisingly, there was hardly any bidding for the ace striker once his name was announced by the auctioneer, and Mumbai City FC bagged him for Rs 1.20 crore; a price which co-owner and Bollywood superstar Ranbir Kapoor expressed surprise.

The other names to be snapped up during the first round of bidding were Pune midfielder Anas Edathodika to Delhi Dynamos FC for Rs 41 lakh, Jackichand Singh to Pune FC for 45 lakh from a base price of 20 lakh, and Thoi Singh for 86 lakh to Chennaiyin FC. Mumbai City and Pune engaged in a fierce bidding war for Royal Wahingdoh winger Jackichand, once North East United FC pulled out early. Thoi, a midfielder for Bengaluru FC, earned 47 lakh more than his base price of 39 lakh, with Mumbai City and North East United the other teams involved in the bidding.

After a short interval, the auction resumed around noon IST and Atletico de Kolkata and North East United went hard for Japanese born Pune midfielder Arata Izumi, who eventually went to the defending champions for 68 lakh, from his base price of 40 lakh. "We really wanted him, so we're very happy," said a team owner.

National team and Bengaluru FC Striker Robin Singh was the next to be sold, going from a base price of 40 lakh to 51 lakh, the final bid coming from Delhi Dynamos who outbid Kerala Blasters, the only other team to show much interest in the 25-year-old from the capital.

Salgaocar goalkeeper Karanjit Singh was purchased for his base price of 60 lakh - the second highest after Chhetri - by Chennaiyin FC. The last player sold at the auction was Seityasen Singh, a winger for Royal Wahingdoh, for 56 lakh to North East United from his base price of 20 lakh.

The ten Indian football players who were auctioned on Friday had missed out on the opening season of the ISL last year owing to their individual contracts with respective I-League clubs, but had shown interest to join the second season of the ISL which runs from October 3 to December 6.