Kerala Blasters FC is set to sign the Indian national team striker Ishan Pandita, IFTWC can confirm. Both parties have agreed on the terms, and only the paperwork is pending.
East Bengal FC was also in the race to sign Ishan. Chennaiyin FC had also shown keen interest initially but later pulled out of the race. The 25-year-old was born in New Delhi, but his family originates from Kashmir. Presently he resides in Bengaluru.
Unlike the usual circumstances with Indian footballers, Ishan started his career in Spain where he trained from an early age to work on his basics. Pandita from when he turned 16, was part of the youth sides of numerous Spanish clubs like Alcobendas CF, UD Almeria, CD Leganes, and Gimnàstic de Tarragona.
After 6 years of rigorous training, he joined Pablo Mafumet in 2019 and then signed for Lorca FC where he flourished under the guidance of then-coach and a former La Liga footballer. With 4 goals in 23 appearances for Lorca, he earned the attention from Indian shores and Goa quickly roped him in for the 20/21 season.
Pandita impressed in his debut ISL season having scored 4 goals in 11 appearances after coming on as a substitute late in the matches. Pandita also featured in the 2021 AFC Champions League with Goa.
Following that season, Ishan signed for Jamshedpur FC on a two-year deal. In his first season, he won the league shield with the Red Miners. Ishan Pandita has scored 5 goals in 34 appearances during his stint with Jamshedpur FC although game time was hard to find for him ahead of the foreign strikers.
Ishan Pandita who scored a goal against Hong Kong last year while representing the nation has featured in 6 matches so far. It won’t be wrong to say he will be a mainstay with Blue Tigers if he performs well with the Yellow Army.
Kerala Blasters are building their team again from scratch after they bid farewell to 6 of their players from last season, some of whom were also the team’s core. And with the long-term injury to Joshua Sotirio, Ishan will look to step up and take his chance alongside the Greek finisher Dimitrios Diamantakos.
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