The Indian Super League (ISL) is steadily carving out a legacy after completing eleven seasons. Launched in 2014, the league has evolved into a long campaign where clubs battle fiercely for silverware, pride and a chance to represent India in Asia.

The league season that culminates with crowning the League Shield winners is followed by a six-team playoff stage which delivers the ISL Cup winners.

The ISL hasn’t just grown in size and stature but also in terms of its emotional reach. The league has blossomed into a story book with plenty of tales of excellence, heroism, grit and determination.

As we roll back the pages of this emotion-filled journey, we encounter stories of some of the most remarkable comebacks. It involves teams as well as individuals who have overcome the odds to script their glory tale which has become immortal in the league’s history.

Here’s a look at some of the ISL’s best tales of redemption.

Sunil Chhetri: Firing again at 40

Sunil Chhetri has etched his name in almost all the record books of Indian football and the ISL leaderboards are not an exception. The league’s all-time leading goalscorer with 75 goals is the best Indian player in the league’s history and there is no scope for any debate.

However, his journey too hasn’t been all smooth sailing and he has had to battle the odds to stay relevant as his age has claimed some part of him with every passing year.

But Chhetri wouldn’t be Chhetri if he let the course of time decide his fate. He is someone who likes to write his own story.

The veteran forward was showing signs of a slowdown as he recorded a total of 14 goals across three seasons from 2021-22 to 2023-24 and was starting to become a peripheral figure.

Just when it seemed that Chhetri’s time at the top level was coming to end, he rolled back the years to produce a season which no one expected. Taking charge of Bengaluru FC’s goalscoring responsibility, Chhetri racked up 14 goals in a single campaign in 2024-25 to match his best-ever tally in the ISL which happened eight years ago in 2017-18.

His remarkable comeback prompted Indian team head coach Manolo Marquez to bring him out of his international retirement.

Chhetri is now 40, closing in on 41 but being the champion that he is, his sights are surely on beating his best-ever goal tally of 14 in the ISL next season.

Never discount Sunil Chhetri.

Anwar Ali: From despair to dominance

Anwar Ali is one of India’s most talented centre-backs. But the country was almost robbed of one when Ali was diagnosed with a rare heart condition that threatened to end his playing career.

However, Ali didn't give up; instead, he kept striding forward with the determination to make a comeback, despite facing numerous medical and legal issues. After careful deliberation, he was eventually granted permission to resume his career following a hiatus of over a year.

He joined FC Goa in the January transfer window and hit the ground running. He played 10 games for the Gaurs in 2021-22, which helped him make a comeback to the Indian national team, starting five out of the six games for the country in 2022.

Ali has since not looked back and continued his growth as a defender. He featured in 20 of FC Goa’s ISL games and established himself as one of the league’s finest defenders. Another eight appearances followed for the national team in 2023.

He joined Mohun Bagan Super Giant in 2023 and became a key part of the then-head coach Juan Ferrando’s setup. An ankle injury sidelined him for a bit, but he returned strongly to help Mohun Bagan Super Giant win their first-ever League Shield. The Mariners lost just three games in the ISL when Ali was in their team.

Ali shifted teams once again, joining MBSG’s city rivals East Bengal FC ahead of the 2024-25 campaign and became one of their best players. Ali has cemented his place in the Indian team’s defence.

From a point where his career was on the line, the 24-year-old has come a long way to develop into one of India’s most reliable players. It’s a testament to his strength of character.

Owen Coyle’s Chennaiyin FC almost do the unthinkable

Chennaiyin FC were one of the most successful teams in the first part of the decade in the ISL, winning two ISL Cups. However, their cup defence in 2018-19 went horribly wrong as they finished bottom of the table with just nine points.

Their start to the 2019-20 season was disappointing too with the team winning just once in their first six games while losing three of them under John Gregory. The Marina Machans had to replace their ISL Cup-winning head coach Gregory with Owen Coyle to change the ailing fortunes of their club.

The Scot took charge of the team mid-season and almost instantly transformed the mood around the club. The Marina Machans went on an eight-match unbeaten run that included six wins to finish the season and qualify for the semi-finals.

Coyle’s men then knocked out League Shield winners FC Goa 6-5 on aggregate in the semi-finals to reach the final.

Chennaiyin FC failed in the final hurdle, losing the final to ATK FC, but the defeat didn’t take away much sheen from what was one of the most remarkable comebacks in ISL history.

Chennaiyin FC in 2019-20 remains a source of hope for any team that is struggling in a season, that they can always turn things around and end the season on a high.

Sandesh Jhingan: A warrior who is never beaten

Sandesh Jhingan and ISL are a romance that goes all the way back to the inaugural season in 2014. The central defender still making his mark in Indian football made the ISL stage his own to win the Emerging Player of the season award in 2014. Since then, Jhingan and ISL have traced a similar journey of growth and progress.

Jhingan is now considered the best defender in India and has made the centre-back position in the national team his own. Head coach Manolo Marquez called him the hardest player to replace in the national team.

But Jhingan’s rise to the top has had its fair share of setbacks and injuries have constantly troubled the centre-back.

The first major injury happened in 2019 when Jhingan was with the Kerala Blasters FC. It ruled him out of the entire ISL season. After more than a year on the sidelines, Jhingan came back featuring for Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the 2020-21 season. He played a key role as the Mariners narrowly finished runners-up to Mumbai City FC in the league as well as the Cup.

Jhingan’s performances earned him a transfer to Croatian club HNK Sibenik but injury once again crippled the defender as he missed eight games. It meant Jhingan had to return home without tasting any action in Croatia.

But he bounced back again to produce one of his finest seasons, contributing immensely to his new club Bengaluru FC and the national team. He was a vital member of the squad as they reached the final of the ISL.

Jhingan was on the move again, seeking a new challenge at FC Goa during the 2023-24 season. His time with the Gaurs got off to a dream start with FC Goa being on top of the table without losing a single game in their first ten matches.

But another knee injury meant Jhingan was ruled out of the season, and FC Goa’s League Shield charge derailed in his absence.

He returned to the pitch six games into ISL 2024-25 with FC Goa struggling. But his arrival completely changed their fortunes as they lost just three matches in the remainder of the season. The Gaurs finished second behind Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the league but went on to win the Kalinga Super Cup with Jhingan starring for his team.

His career has been punctuated with a lot of serious injuries, but Jhingan has always come out of it an even better player. He is a warrior for both club and country and his ISL legacy is unmatched.

NorthEast United FC a club transformed under Juan Pedro Benali

NorthEast United FC have been in the ISL from its outset, but the team has had more sorrows than joy in its journey. The club hit rock bottom in 2022-23 when they finished the season with just five points, the lowest points tally by any club in ISL history. With just two playoff appearances to show in nine seasons of the ISL, NorthEast United FC needed a lift.

The arrival of Juan Pedro Benali proved to be just that as the Spaniard lifted them from the abyss to make them genuine competitors.

Benali took Highlanders from an eleventh-place finish to seventh place in 2023-24, missing the playoffs by just one point. The improvement continued as Benali inspired the team to Durand Cup triumph in 2024. Led by the goals of Alaaeddine Ajaraie, the Highlanders continued their ascent and reached the playoffs for just the third time in their history. Although their journey ended in the Knockout round, Benali’s NorthEast United FC were a fiercely competitive side in the ISL which was a vast improvement from the team that finished bottom of the table in 2022-23.

And the Spaniard is not done yet. He will be looking to further build on their playoff qualification and make NorthEast United FC a contender for the top honours next season. It’s been a fascinating comeback tale for NorthEast United FC under Benali and its climax is yet to be written.

Albino Gomes: Never give up

Albino Gomes finished ISL 2024-25 with most saves. He was one of the best goalkeepers in the ISL last season. The 31-year-old has worked tirelessly to earn those adjectives and after a series of stints with a number of ISL clubs, Gomes has produced a season where he has put himself among the best goalkeepers in the league.

1, 4, 4, 4. These were the number of appearances Gomes was afforded in his first four seasons in the ISL with Mumbai City FC and Delhi Dynamos FC. Loan spells to I-League clubs were frequent.

Eventually, it was Kerala Blasters FC in the 2020-21 season where Gomes really got a run of games as the team’s first choice. He played 20 games that season but the Blasters endured a difficult season meaning he could only keep three clean sheets.

But just as Gomes was beginning to show his abilities as a goalkeeper, injury struck and he was ruled out of the 2021-22 season after just four matches. By the time he returned, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill had made the place between the Kerala Blasters FC sticks his own.

It was back to the I-League for Gomes who featured for Chruchill Brothers and Sreenidi Deccan. Gomes put his head down and focussed on his performances which caught the eye of Jamshedpur FC and Khalid Jamil, who signed him. He returned to the ISL after two seasons, and with a point to prove. He was one of the best players as Jamshedpur FC reached the semi-finals of the ISL for just the second time in their history. He also helped the club reach the final of the Kalinga Super Cup, which they lost to FC Goa.

Gomes’ journey is one of perseverance, grit and immense self-belief. He took rejections, setbacks and injuries in his stride to continue his pursuit of excellence and has been handsomely rewarded.