Chhetri, Jhingan Among 12 ISL Captains Backing Joint Petition To Supreme Court

Last Updated:November 15, 2025, 00:32 IST

ISL skippers request Supreme Court to restart paused season as player frustration rises, led by Sunil Chhetri and Sandesh Jhingan.

Twelve Indian Super League skippers, including star Indian footballers like Sunil Chhetri, Sandesh Jhingan and Lallianzuala Chhangte, have signed a petition to be submitted to the Supreme Court regarding the paused ISL season, as per sources quoted by PTI.

The captains discussed the petition during an online meeting earlier in the week.

“They have signed the petition, and it’s likely to be submitted next week,” a source close to the development told PTI.

On November 11, the country’s distressed football players issued a joint statement pleading with the administrators to get the currently paused ISL season underway, stating that their “anger and frustration” have turned into desperation now.

The plea came after the All India Football Federation announced last week that it did not receive any bids for the commercial rights of the ISL following the Request for Proposal (RFP) on October 16, which invited bids for a 15-year contract to monetise the league’s commercial and media rights.

“Where we are right now is not a delay anymore; it’s a standstill for the coaches, fans, staff members, and players. We have worked too hard, sacrificed too much to let our season vanish in silence,” star India defender Jhingan said in a video posted on his social media handles.

Several national team footballers, including Chhetri and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, shared a text statement expressing similar sentiments.

“We, professional footballers who play in the Indian Super League, are coming together to make a plea and, more importantly, to send the message that we stand united in our efforts to get the Indian Super League season underway. To put it simply, we want to play, and now.

“Our anger, frustration, and distress have now been replaced by desperation. Desperation to play the game we love, in front of the people who mean everything to us – our families, our fans,” the statement read.

Chhetri also added on Instagram, “We are all standing shoulder to shoulder, willing to do whatever it takes to resurrect the sport we love.”

The statement urged the game’s administrators to find a way out of the current crisis, which has prompted top clubs like Mohun Bagan to halt training.

The failure to attract bidders is likely to raise questions over the league’s current commercial viability and the federation’s ability to monetise the country’s flagship football competition after its decade-long partnership with Football Sports Development Limited ended.

(With PTI Inputs)

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