ISL 2020-21: East Bengal agree terms with Jeje Lalpekhlua

New Indian Super League (ISL) outfit East Bengal are set to sign Jeje Lalpekhlua in the coming week. 

The 29-year-old won the ISL twice (2015, 2017-18) with Chennaiyin FC before which he won the Federation Cup (2016) and I-League (2014-15) when he sported the Mohun Bagan shirt.

Jeje had to sit out the entire last season out due to a troublesome knee injury and was included in the list of probables for the Indian national team's 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifier match against Qatar that was supposed to be held in March and now indefinitely postponed to 2021.

The Mizo striker was earlier left out by India head coach Igor Stimac for the King's Cup and Intercontinental Cup in 2019 due to his injury. Jeje last donned the India shirt in the AFC Asian Cup in January 2019.

I-League

More recently, after his nomination for the 2017 Arjuna Awards, Lalpekhlua saw his name included in the list of recommendations for the famed Arjuna Award this year as well but eventually lost out to Sandesh Jhingan.

Jeje has previously played for Mohun Bagan as well but turned out to be Chennaiyin FC's poster boy in the ISL, representing them from the very first edition back in 2014. Jeje is also the highest goalscorer for Chennaiyin FC in the ISL. 

He also scored 23 goals with 56 India senior caps besides the six from 13 appearances with the India U-23 team. He has played for other clubs like Pune FC, Pailan Arrows and Dempo where he has a respectable goal output. 

It will be interesting to see the Mizo Sniper don the Red and Gold colours as the team goes about their inaugural season in the ISL.