27 goals, 50.56% average ball possession – Chennaiyin FC sure did have a good inaugural season in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL)! It’s not for nothing that they qualified for the semi-final stage, only to go out to Kerala Blasters FC. And this time, with good Auction and Draft picks to benefit them, they hope to go one up on their rival teams.A lot of new faces grace the team roster, alongside the old ones. One of these ‘new lads’ would be the seasoned Kashmiri defender Mehrajuddin Wadoo. Speaking to www.indiansuperleague.com, he seems raring to go with the bustling Tamil side, “Well, it’s a good team. Last year, at one point, it seemed like they were going to be the champions but somehow they couldn’t make it. This year, they almost have the same squad and I’m going to put my best foot forward and, hopefully, win the league.”He has only good things to say about his previous side, FC Pune City. His 10 appearances – which included 8 starts – boast of a span of 736 minutes spent on the field. “It was a great season. I learned so many things from so many players. The atmosphere was good and I got to play with players I’ve always dreamed of playing with. Overall, a very good experience and I have a lot of lovely memories to take with me.”This time, it’ll be all about forging new ties as he prepares to embark on a new adventure with head coach Marco Materazzi and Brazilian great Elano Blumer. “Well, I think they’re big players [Bernard Mendy and Elano] and playing with them would be just great. Hopefully, I’ll learn a number of things from them. Elano was fantastic last year and I’m looking forward to a great season with him. And what can I say about Materazzi!”Of the players that impressed him the most last season, his ex-teammate Arindam Bhattacharya earns quite some praise. “I think he was great under the bar. John Stiven Mendoza, too, was amazing - the way he played, ran with the ball and scored goals.”Mehrajuddin’s aim for the upcoming season – win the ISL title, “because we are a good team.” Watch out for him in the league opener as Chennaiyin FC take on reigning champions Atlético de Kolkata on the 3rd of October 2015 in the Hero Indian Super League 2015.
