Asish Rai

For the Indian cricketer, see Ashish Rai (cricketer).

Asish Rai

Personal information
Full name	Asish Rai
Date of birth	(1999-01-27) 27 January 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth	Pakyong, Sikkim, India
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Right-back
Team information
Current team	Mohun Bagan SG
Number	44
Youth career
	Pune
	Pune City
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2017–2019	Pune City B	6	(1)
2017–2019	→ Indian Arrows (loan)	29	(1)
2019–2022	Hyderabad	48	(0)
2022–	Mohun Bagan SG	42	(1)
International career‡
2017–2019	India U20	2	(1)
2019–2021	India U23	4	(0)
2023–	India	3	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 06:51, 24 September 2023 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 September 2024

Asish Rai (born 27 January 1999) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Indian Super League club Mohun Bagan SG and the India national team.

Club career

Early life and youth career

Rai was born in Pakyong, a small village in Sikkim. He always liked to play football, even as a kid. He got interested in the game by his uncle, who played football himself.

He was selected by a local academy in his state at the age of 12. He travelled to Delhi to play in the Subroto Cup, spent a couple of years there before joining the Pune Academy which was later converted into the Pune City Academy. ^[1] Since, Pune City already had experienced players in the right-back position, they loaned him out to Indian Arrows.

Indian Arrows

2017–18 season

On 29 November 2017, Rai was selected to play for the Indian Arrows, an All India Football Federation owned team that would consist of India under-20 players to give them playing time. ^[2] He made his professional debut for the side on 26 December 2017, against Shillong Lajong. He started and played the full match as Indian Arrows won 3–0. ^{[3] [4]}

In his debut season, Rai made ten appearances, one in the 2018 Indian Super Cup for the Arrows. Although they finished bottom of the table in the I-League, they impressed with their gameplay and football.

2018–19 season

On 5 November 2018, he scored his first goal for the club in only his second appearance of the season against Shillong Lajong, which eventually was the winning goal as the Arrows won 1–0. ^{[5] [6]} He featured in all 20 matches of the 2018–19 I-League campaign and also a couple in the 2019 Indian Super Cup, as he became a permanent fixture in the right full-back position. The team improved from the season before and picked up 21 points to finish eighth in the points table.

Hyderabad

2019–20 season

Rai went back to the reserves team of Pune City, and when the club was dissolved in the summer of 2019, their replacement club Hyderabad signed him for their first team. He made his professional debut for the club on 25 October 2019, against ATK in a 5–0 loss. ^{[7] [8]} On 8 December 2019, Hyderabad head coach Phil Brown heaped praise on Rai after he put in a splendid display in the right-back position, in their narrow 1–0 defeat against Goa. ^[9]

The debut season of Hyderabad was a devastating one for the club and the fans, most of the Indian players didn't play in their preferred position and one of them was Rai. He played as a left-back, right-back and on the wings, too. He played 14 games for them in the 2019–20 Indian Super League season. Due to the unstableness in the squad, tactics and many other factors, he wasn't able to perform up to the mark and couldn't give his best. ^[10]

On 17 February 2020, Rai signed a three-year extension with the club, till May 2023. ^[11]

2020–21 season

Rai and Hyderabad set the stage alight in the 2020-21 Indian Super League season, under the stewardship of Manolo Márquez. The second season was a huge improvement for the outfit from the inaugural 2019-20 campaign, where they had finished last in the standings. Despite staying in contention for the playoffs throughout, the Nizams missed out on qualification on the final day due to a string of draws and dropped points. ^[12]

Rai was in sensational form throughout the season until he picked up a season-ending knee injury against Kerala Blasters, on 16 February 2021. ^[13] The right-back's industry on the flank and constant threat in the attacking third made him a tough operator for the opposition to contain. He featured in 18 matches of the 2020-21 Indian Super League campaign and also racked up two assists in the process. Head coach Márquez called Rai "the most improved player" of last season. ^[14]

Mohun Bagan SG

Rai moved to another Indian Super League side Mohun Bagan SG in 2022. He made his debut for the club on 20 August against Rajasthan United at the 131st edition of Durand Cup and they were defeated by 3–2. ^[15]

Career statistics

Club

As of 4 March 2023 ^[16]

Club	Season	League			Cup		AFC		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Pune City B	2017–18	I-League 2nd Division	6	0	0	0	—		6	0
Indian Arrows (loan)	2017–18	I-League	9	0	1 [a]	0	—		10	0
	2018–19		20	1	2 [a]	0	—		22	1
	Indian Arrows total		29	1	3	0	0	0	32	1
Hyderabad	2019–20	Indian Super League	14	0	0	0	—		14	0
	2020–21		18	0	0	0	—		18	0
	2021–22		16	0	0	0	—		16	0
	Hyderabad total		48	0	0	0	0	0	48	0
Mohun Bagan SG	2022–23	Indian Super League	20	0	3 [b]	0	1 [c]	0	24	0
Career total			103	1	6	0	1	0	111	1

1. Appearance(s) in Super Cup
2. Appearance(s) in Durand Cup
3. Appearance(s) in AFC Cup

Honours

Mohun Bagan

• Durand Cup: 2023
• ISL Cup: 2022–23
• ISL Champion: 2023–24

Hyderabad

• ISL Cup: 2021–22

References

1. "Coach Manolo Marquez makes sure that we are disciplined, says Hyderabad FC's Asish Rai". 20 January 2021. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
2. "Matos Names 25-member Indian Arrows Squad for Hero I-league 2017-18". The All India Football Federation. 29 November 2017. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
3. "Indian Arrows 3-0 Shillong Lajong". Soccerway. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
4. "I-League 2017: Indian Arrows 3-0 Shillong Lajong: Luis Norton de Matos-less youngsters beat ten-men Reds". Goal.com. 26 December 2017. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
5. "Indian Arrows 1-0 Shillong Lajong". Soccerway. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
6. "I-League 2018-19: Indian Arrows emerge triumphant against Shillong Lajong". Goal.com. 5 November 2018. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
7. "ATK 5-0 Hyderabad". Soccerway. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
8. "ISL 2019-20: Five-star ATK rout Hyderabad". Goal.com. 25 October 2019. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
9. "Phil Brown heaps praise on Ashish Rai". Goal.com. 8 December 2018. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
10. "Asish Rai – Rising Star of Indian Football". IFTWC. 20 February 2021. Archived from the original on 6 September 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
11. "Hyderabad youngsters Asish Rai and Mohammad Yasir sign contract extensions". Indian Super League. 17 February 2020. Archived from the original on 6 September 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
12. "Indian Super League 2020-21 Season Review: Hyderabad FC". KhelNow. 21 March 2021. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
13. "Manolo Marquez gives update on Asish Rai's injury". KhelNow. 16 February 2021. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
14. "After a stellar season, Márquez eyes evolution with Hyderabad FC". DeccanHerald. 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
15. Bhattacharjee, Neeladri (20 August 2022). "Durand Cup HIGHLIGHTS ATK Mohun Bagan loses 2–3 to Rajasthan United, ATKMB vs RUFC; Mariners lose first match". sportstar.thehindu.com. Kolkata, West Bengal: Sportstar. The Hindu. Archived from the original on 20 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
16. Asish Rai at Soccerway