While, the first edition of the Indian Super League was more of an attempt to revive Indian football, it also served as a launchpad for domestic footballers to get a taste of high-quality game time. Yet, we cannot undermine the fact that all narrows down to one aspect - development. Indeed, grabbing the attention was a stepping stone to achieve it but looking at things from only a business perspective would eventually have perished the whole effort. 

The decision was always beating around the bush, with most of the top Asian leagues already adopting a 3+1 foreign rule (3 from any country and 1 from an AFC nation). Iran, South Korea, Oman, and the Philippines are few of the nations to have already injected the norm into their systems.

From the onset, big-money Indian footballers were reserved for the most strategic positions on a football field. While the visitors were subject to immense game time, aspiring domestic talents in a similar role hardly stepped into the greenery. They either warmed the bench or filled up uneventful minutes towards the end of the game, when the prime stars’ tired legs needed some rest.

It’s only the side-backs, or maybe the wingers to some extent that coaches kept void to depute domestic players. That’s straight hits at the reason why the nation has failed to develop top-brass players in ISL era. With the set equilibrium gone for a toss, the managers have to sit for brain-storming sessions - to formulate the perfect playing XI.

For instance, the coveted centre-forward position has been constantly booked by overseas players, which has hurt to a level that the national team will be without a quality striker once the legendary Sunil Chhetri hangs up his boots. As grave as that may sound, its the truth! For instance, Farukh Chaudhary, after seeing most of the early half of the 2020-21 ISL season on the bench, switched to Jamshedpur FC in the January transfer window. 

Is this what the league was launched for? To see domestic players swap sides mid-season in search of game time? It was from his boots that India opened the scoring in the last international match against Nepal!

In spite of the fact that the first-string Indian players do get to play for adequate time in the ISL, the pace of their ripening age is such that the next batch of players won’t be ready if not groomed properly from now on. The transition would go haywire, eventually leading to a slump in Indian football. Thanks to the realisation (even though late), 11 additional Indian players will start in their respective matches and that's already a significant step-up. But let’s not hope for miracles.

The apparent quality set by the five-foreigner policy might take a dip initially, but that gap has to be bridged. For a fact, the managers follow a template in which the teams play with two central defenders, one/two midfielders and one/two wingers/forwards as their five foreigners. Sacrificing any one of those will automatically dent the full-proof process, but there’s no harm in putting in local lads and allowing them to develop their game along the way.

The Uzbek League, which allows five foreigners in the starting XI, is a powerhouse in Asia but still hasn't managed to win the AFC Asian Cup even once, or even qualify for a FIFA World Cup. On the contrary, their rankings have constantly dipped with them recently falling from 62 in 2016 to 84th. It showcases the fact that having more foreigners doesn't necessarily promise development!

When Indian football might enjoy the fruits 

To justify the rankings and enjoy supremacy over them convincingly, for starters, the immediate remedy is giving more playing time to Indian players and shaping them accordingly. Albeit, it would be foolish to expect eye-soothing in the ISL from all Indian players instantly, but better learn here than wobble up at the grand stage. The winning motive has always come as a road-block to use Indian players in key roles, but the new role just snatches away such luxuries.

The absence of centre-back Sandesh Jhinghan instantly puts the Indian camp in a spot of bother, as there’s no genuine replacement to even do away with for a single match. Chinglensana Singh and Adil Khan are possible options but inconsistent displays from them again brings back us to the same problem. 

The dependency stage has passed, it’s now time for the Indians to dominate the ISL. With due respect to everyone, what a wonderful feeling it would be to see an Indian striker in contention for the golden boot!