India’s oldest, and also one of the most successful football club Mohun Bagan, merged with Indian Super League’s most successful club ATK (formerly Atletico de Kolkata) to compete in the cash-rich tournament from 2020.

In a union that has been touted as a match made in heaven, both clubs have now combined into one unit and will look to maintain their stranglehold at the pinnacle of Indian football while competing against the likes Bengaluru FC, Kerala Blasters FC, Chennaiyin FC, FC Goa, rivals SC East Bengal and others, dribbling past opponents in a race for top spot. 

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Mohun Bagan, who emerged victorious in the 2019-20 season of the I-League, will look to continue their fine spate of form following their take over. ATK, not to be counted out, had emerged victorious in the 2019-20 ISL campaign, becoming the first side to win the tournament on three occasions.

Now under Spanish coach Antonio Lopez Habas, the immensely popular and successful sides from the heartland of Indian football, Kolkata, will look to reign supreme on the pitch during the upcoming ISL campaign.

ATK Mohun Bagan has managed to retain ATK shot stopper and formidable goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharja. The 30-year-old team India goalkeeper is the first choice goalkeeper for the Bagan side, with Avilash Paul, Arsh Shaikh, Aryan Niraj Lamba and Dheeraj Singh as backup goalkeepers.

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The rock solid defence of the iconic green and maroon outfit consists of star Indian player Sandesh Jhingan, who has been a defensive stalwart in the Indian National team. Jhingan, who has two runners-up ISL medals to his name, will look to clinch the elusive gold for his Kolkata franchise.

Other defenders in the Bagan side are Pritam Kotal, Tiri, Prabir Das, Subhasish Bose and Sumit Rathi. Kotal and Bose, both have an illustrious profile having played in the ISL for years, while the former has a winners medal to his name, the latter’s best performance in the tournament came in 2017-18, when he earned a Hero ISL runners-up medal for Bengaluru FC.

Tiri, Kolkata’s Spanish import, won his first ISL with Kolkata in 2016, before moving to Jamshedpur FC. The 29-year-old will look to regain his Midas touch in the 2020-21 tournament having been sidelined for most of 2019-20 through injuries.

Prabir Das played an important role in ATK’s 2016-17 title winning campaign and also won the league with ATK in 2019-20. Das, a right back, will look to replicate his spell bounding run of form last year and improve with ATK Mohun Bagan.

Sumit Rathi, the teen sensation, was adjudged the Emerging player of the league last year and will have much to prove having signed a three-year contract with the club.

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The ATK Mohun Bagan midfield is the right mix of flair and speed, with the likes of Edu Garcia, Javier Hernandez, Jayesh Rane, Pronoy Halder, Michael Soosairaj, providing the right amount of experience, and guile to outwit opposition sides.

The presence of Boris Singh, Bradden Inman, Carl McHugh, Glen Martins, N Engson Singh, Regin Michael and Sahil Sheikh adds further depth to the playing 11.

Garcia started his career with Real Zaragoza before he moved to ATK in 2018-19. The Spaniard has since scored 11 goals and while providing 10 assists for his side.

Similarly, Hernandez had a successful campaign with ATK in 2019-20 and made 20 appearances for the side scoring on 2 occasions, the 31-year-old will add valuable experience to the Bagan midfield having played in Real Madrid B, UD Salamanca, following it with brief stints for Romanian, Polish and Azerbaijan clubs.

Homegrown talents of Jayesh Rane, Pronoy Halder, Soosairaj, will provide further stability to the Bagan midfield, cooking up delicious passes to rip open the opponents defence.

Rane and Halder are seasoned players with 110 plus games between them, the duo will be instrumental for ATK Mohun Bagan’s success in the league.

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Bagan’s attack will be largely dependent on homegrown striker Roy Krishna and Australian import David Williams to score goals and fire them to glory. Beside Krishna and William, the ATK Bagan squad has promising youngsters Roy Krishna and Mohammed Fardin Ali Molla as back up.