Naorem Mahesh makes his mark down the wings during India’s 2-0 win over the Kyrgyz Republic

It was Sunil Chhetri’s now-trademark one-step penalty that sealed the 2-0 win for India over the Kyrgyz Republic. But on the night when the team’s most-capped player scored his 85th international goal, it was the youngster making only his second appearance who shone.
Naorem Mahesh played for just 34 minutes, having come on as a second-half substitute. And for the few moments he was on the field, Mahesh dazzled. Playing in front of packed stands at his home in Imphal, the 24-year-old set the left wing on fire, dashing forward at the slightest of opportunities, charging towards the line, cutting inside and delivering crosses.
It’s what he has done all season in the Indian Super League for East Bengal. And though the fallen giants of Indian football had another season to forget, Mahesh’s star has been on the rise. His nine-goal contributions – 2 goals and 7 asss – caught the attention of Igor Stimac, who stuck to his philosophy of giving young performers in the ISL a chance to push their case for a place in the national team.
Indian team celebrates after finishing on top in the tri-nation tournament. Credit: AIFF
Mahesh wasn’t a first choice. He never has been. When he signed for Kerala Blasters in 2020, he was loaned first to Sudeva and then to East Bengal so he could get some match time. The winger’s struggles continued as he was ineffective in the final third and often found himself restricted to the bench. His fortunes changed this year – his first full season with East Bengal after making a permanent switch – and yet, it wasn’t enough to merit a direct berth in the national squad.
Naorem Mahesh training with Kerala Blasters. (Twitter)
It was a stroke of luck that got him into the team – an injury to Sivasakthi Narayanan in the ISL final opened the door for the Manipuri. And he’s more than grabbing the opportunity. Against Myanmar in the first match of the tri-nation tournament, Mahesh got just 20 minutes. The cameo, though, was enough to make an impression.
“Mahesh was a big surprise,” Stimac told the AIFF after the match against Myanmar. “I saw what he’s capable of in the ISL, but when players come from the ISL to the national team, it’s a different type of pressure. He was brilliant tonight and everything he did was perfect the book.”
It was more of the same against Kyrgyz, ranked 94th in the world. In the second half, when the visitors pushed India deep into their own half in search of an equaliser, India found themselves defending even more than they were in the first half, where Sandesh Jhingan’s goal had given them the lead. Kyrgyz were easily picking the Indian midfield apart. But for a stubborn defence, led Akash Mishra, Jhingan and Anwar Ali, they could have run away with the match.

2️⃣ wins in 2️⃣💪The #BlueTigers are winners of the #HeroTriNation in Imphal!🏆😍 #KGZIND ⚔️ #BackTheBlue 💙 #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/CVOWR5Pnyi
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) March 28, 2023
Mahesh made an instant impact after being brought on for Brandon Fernandes, whose free-kick led to the first goal, in the 56th minute.
Within only his second or third touch, he nearly doubled India’s lead after Chhetri set him up beautifully but the ball fell on his weaker foot and Mahesh’s side-footed attempt went past the second post.
A few minutes later, Mahesh was again in the thick of things. This time, darting forward, slipping at the edge of the box, regaining his footing to make sure he didn’t lose the ball and trying to deliver a cross. His breezy runs came as a breath of fresh air for India, who had been too defensive all night, while also forcing Kyrgyz to retreat into their own half. This opened up space in the middle and also took some attention off Lallianzuala Chhangte, who was cut off until then, on the right wing. As the match wore on, Chhangte got more and more involved, delivering crosses and making cheeky forward runs that underline why he is one of the best players in the country at the moment.
It was Mahesh, though, who set the stage for India’s second goal. And once again, it was his pace that was too much for the defender to handle, bringing him down inside the box, earning India a penalty. Chhetri stepped up and squeezed the ball in between the goalie and the post as the 30,000 people inside the stadium erupted.
The result continues the winning momentum for Stimac: in his first five home games as India coach, he didn’t win even one game and had 0 clean sheets; in the last five, India have won each and managed four clean sheets.

But as the Croat fine-tunes his squad for the Asian Cup, it will be Mahesh’s performance that is likely to give him a selection headache. This is a period where the national team is witnessing an excess of wingers. While Udanta Singh watched from the stands, Chhangte, Bipin Singh, Vikram Pratap Singh and Mohammed Yasir have all been in a rich vein of form. With Mahesh now in the fray, Stimac will have tough calls to make when the national team returns to action in May.