Kerala Blasters FC and Bengaluru FC have been embroiled in a fierce rivalry ever since the latter’s inclusion into the Indian Super League (ISL). The passionate fanbases of both the clubs have made this fixture a spectacle to watch. Every match brings with itself a different flavour and a different kind of tension. League position and form go out of the window when these two meet and it all comes down to performances on the pitch.
Out of the 14 meetings these two teams have had, Kerala Blasters FC have won three times and Bengaluru FC have won 8 times. There have been three draws in this fixture.
To add more spice to the fixture, a number of top players have donned the jerseys of both these teams. Kerala Blasters FC’s Jessel Carneiro who captained the club joined Bengaluru FC while Prabir Das went the other way.
Here’s look at some of the best players to have played for both clubs.
Sandesh Jhingan
The Chandigarh-born defender has been one of the standout performers in the ISL. He is also considered as the top choice for the centre-back position in the Indian national team due to his exploits in the ISL.
In 2014, in the inaugural season of the ISL, Kerala Blasters FC signed him from the player draft. His performances for the team eventually led to him winning the Emerging Player of the League award. He helped the team reach two finals and was one of the most consistent players in the team.
Jhingan played for Bengaluru FC in two stints. The first one came in 2017 when he joined the Blues who then played in the I-League and won the Federation Cup with the Blues. His second spell came in ISL 2022-23 where he helped the Blues reach the ISL Cup final. Once again Jhingan was one of the most consistent performers for Bengaluru FC.
Harmanjot Khabra
He joined Bengaluru FC on loan in 2016 when they played in the I-League. When they entered the ISL in 2017, Khabra signed a permanent contract with them. He was the mainstay in that line-up and played some good games for the team. That season, Khabra won the Super Cup with the team and the following season he won the ISL Cup for only the second time in his career. His performances helped Bengaluru FC win their first-ever ISL cup.
He joined Kerala Blasters FC in the 2021 season and played a number of games for the team. His performance against his former club Bengaluru FC earned him the man of the match award. His first-ever goal in ISL cams in the match against Odisha FC and he became the first player after Narayan Das to have played 10,000 minutes in the league by the end of the season.
The following season he did not get much game time for the club.
CK Vineeth
After an impressive loan spell with the Blues, Bengaluru FC signed CK Vineeth for the 2014 I-League season. He slowly earned him a place in the starting XI and was a key member of the team that reached the AFC Cup final. He won two I-League titles with the club and also represented Kerala Blasters FC in the ISL on loan from the Blues.
Kerala Blasters FC signed him permanently in 2017 and he performed brilliantly for the team in a lot of matches. He scored some crucial goals whenever he got a chance to help Kerala Blasters FC get good results in the league and netted 11 times during his time in Kochi.
Nishu Kumar
In 2015, Nishu Kumar was signed by Bengaluru FC. He made a few appearances in the Bangalore Super Division League and also made a few appearances in the AFC Cup for the team. When the club entered the ISL, Nishu Kumar progressed from a promising youngster to a sturdy campaigner with slow progress on the field. Nishu came on as a substitute in the ISL Cup 2017-18 final which Bengaluru FC eventually lost. The following season, Bengaluru FC reached the final again and Nishu started the game. Bengaluru FC won the final and Nishu Kumar won the Emerging Player of the Match award.
He signed for Kerala Blasters FC ahead of ISL 2020-21 season. Good performances week-in and week out made him one of the top players in the ISL and one of the best fullbacks in India.
Prabhsukhan Singh Gill
Gill signed for Bengaluru FC in 2019 but could not hit the ground running in time. He made just two appearances for the club and left the club in September 2020.
In the same month, Kerala Blasters FC announced the signing of Gill on a two-year deal. During his first year, he did not make any appearances for the team as he was considered to be the backup to Albino Gomes.
It was in December 2021 when Gill finally made his debut for the club after Gomes suffered an unfortunate injury.
He started for the first time in the ISL against East Bengal FC. By the end of the tournament, he had managed to keep seven clean sheets, make 47 saves and concede just 21 goals. He won the Golden Glove award that season for his fine exploits.
