Kolkata: Vishal Kaith’s goalkick needed contributions from three outfield players for Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s second goal against Kerala Blasters scored by Jamie Maclaren. Jason Cummings and Maclaren were the second and third, the slick give-go between mates from Australia’s 2022 World Cup squad culminating in a smart finish. But the ball wouldn’t have reached Cummings had Lalengmawia Ralte not won an aerial duel before being flattened near the centre-circle.
It is not something Ralte, Apuia to the Indian football community, has done much of this term. The one on Saturday was only the third aerial duel he had won in 18 appearances in this season’s Indian Super League (ISL). Used as No.6 by Jose Molina, Ralte’s influence is more in his own half. But there he was in Kochi showing why he is referred to as the best midfielder now in India.
Ralte is the youngest to 100 ISL appearances. Somewhat appropriately for the player from Mizoram, it happened on December 8 this season, in the 2-0 win against NorthEast United in Guwahati. Ralte was 24 years and 52 days then and beat Jerry Lalrinzuala’s mark by 52 days. Tells you why Mohun Bagan got Ralte to trigger his release clause at Mumbai City FC and sign him for five years last summer. His annual salary is rumoured to be around ₹3.5 crore making Ralte one of the most expensive players in the league.
“He has been an important player in the league in recent seasons…becoming an important player as a defensive midfielder in the Indian national team as well. It will help us generate internal competition that will improve team performance,” Molina had said when Ralte joined last June.
Getting Ralte meant Mohun Bagan could play an Indian in the spine and deploy foreigners elsewhere on the pitch. So far, Ralte’s performance has justified the investment. He has won 42 of his 57 attempted tackles, the most at Mohun Bagan, as per data from the league. He has won 90 of the 144 duels attempted, made 28 interceptions and is an important reason why Kaith has 13 clean sheets.
Crucially for someone who is a strong physical presence and whose day job now is to make tackles, Ralte has conceded 21 fouls but won 26. He has been booked seven times, the most in his ISL career, and though toting up yellow cards has led to suspensions, Ralte has not seen a red card in six seasons.
Against Bengaluru FC in Kolkata, Ralte was booked in the eight minute for a foul on Alberto Noguera but still produced a player-of-the-match performance. “I didn’t think it was a yellow as he fell down easily,” said Ralte after the match when HT asked him whether the booking played on his mind. “I knew I cannot make a stupid mistake and let the team down. So, whenever there was a possibility of making a stupid tackle, I backed down.”
There is a saying about Indian central midfielders: if they are committed to a tackle, they will go all-in. Ralte has the technical ability and the intelligence to know when not to go.
Before Sunday’s match at home against Odisha FC, Ralte’s passing accuracy is 83.71%. It is a measure of how consistent he has been since breaking into ISL as part of a double 6 with NorthEast United in 2019-20 that Ralte’s passing accuracy has never dipped below 83%. It is a metric where he is better than Ahmed Jahouh and his contemporaries from the India under-17 World Cup squad in 2017, Amarjit Kiyam, Suresh Wangjam and Jeakson Singh.
Players mature at different times and Ralte would now be ahead of cousins Jeakson and Amarjit and Wangjam. Ralte is confident to the point that he has skipped India matches because it clashed with examination as a sociology masters student. It fits that his game is high on risk and reward but it also makes him much more than just a ball-winning midfielder.
Des Buckingham realised that and played Ralte further up the pitch when they were both at Mumbai City FC. That helped accommodate Jahouh and Ralte in the 11. Ralte responded with goals, more key passes, chances created and successful aerial duels (13 last term) than now on way to winning the league shield and the cup with Mumbai.
At Mohun Bagan, his attacking numbers are down but the ISL11 leaders have the most goals (42). Ralte is doing what Molina wants him to and that has contributed to Mohun Bagan conceding only 14 goals. Ahead of the season-opener against Mumbai City here in September, Ralte had said: “I am not young Apuia anymore. I need to take more responsibility.” After 21 matches, Ralte has walked the talk.
