Over 200 players to feature in ISL draft

More than 200 Indian footballers will be up for grabs when the Indian Super League (ISL) player draft is held here on Sunday with two new entrants -- Jamshedpur FC and Bengaluru FC -- vying for the finest players along with the remaining eight franchises.

A minimum of 15 and maximum of 18 players in the squad will be allowed per team according to ISL regulations. There will be two U-21 players in the 18.

The clubs were allowed to retain a maximum of two players from their 2016 squad, in addition to retaining upto three U-21 players to fill up the development player quota.

Eight of the nine teams have made the most of the retention regulation for the season by signing 22 domestic players in a bid to create the core of their squad, while Delhi Dynamos have opted to begin on a fresh note for the upcoming season.

As the new team in ISL, Jamshedpur FC will get the first pick in both first and second rounds of the player draft, while Delhi Dynamos will be the second club to exercise their right in the opening round.

FC Pune City, who have retained only one player, will join the above two in the second round. The rest of the six clubs, except Chennaiyin FC will join the draft from the third round.

Chennaiyin will be the only club to join the draft from the fourth Round.

The 2015 champions have retained promising youngster Jerry Lalrinzuala - a capped Indian player falling under U-21 category, in addition to their two players retention and hence will have to miss the first three rounds.

The draft will witness a total 15 rounds. The sequence for selection of rounds for each club will be determined by a draw of lots on Saturday evening.

Players retained:

Atletico de Kolkata: Debjit Majumdar, Prabir Das;

Bengaluru FC: Sunil Chhetri, Udanta Singh, Nishu Kumar, Malsawmzuala;

Chennaiyin FC: Jeje Lalpekhlua, Karanjit Singh, Jerry Lalrinzuala, Anirudh Thapa;

FC Goa: Laxmikant Kattimani, Mandar Rao Dessai;

FC Pune City: Vishal Kaith, Ashique Kuruniyan;

Kerala Blasters: CK Vineeth, Sandesh Jhingan; Prashanth Karuthadathkuni;

Mumbai City FC: Amrinder Singh, Sehnaj Singh, Rakesh Oram;

NorthEast United: Rowllin Borges, TP Rehenesh.

--IANS

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