JOIN USAtletico de Kolkata
Luis Garcia: Having played for the likes of Barcelona and Liverpool before pitching tent with a franchise that has its links to Spain's Atletico, Garcia is a welcome addition to the ISL. Famous for the 'ghost goal' that he scored against Chelsea for Liverpool in a Champions League semifinal, he will be a handful.
Chennaiyin FC
Elano Blumer: The technically gifted Brazilian, who has fifty caps for the national team, will be pulling the strings from midfield for the Chennai franchise. How he links up with Bojan Djordjic, another attacking midfielder, will be an intriguing subplot.
Delhi Dynamos
Alessandro del Piero: The father of the 'marquee players', at least among this pack, the suave Italian will be one to watch out for. Having earned his reputation as a proper one-club legend before embarking on a sojourn to Australia to play for Sydney FC, the organisers have been quick to use Del Piero as an ambassador for the ISL.
FC Goa
Robert Pires: A worldclass player during his pomp at Arsenal, the Frenchman would do well to get into any sort of match fitness as he has been out of the game for three years now. But one thing that Pires has never been accused of is shirking his duties and he will give it his all.
Kerala Blasters
David James: One of the weaker teams in the league, goalkeeper David James will have his task cut out to keep the Blasters in contention in the league phase if they are to have any chance of qualifying to the business end of the tournament.
Mumbai City FC
Fredrik Ljungberg: The uncanny Swede, who had a habit of popping up with crucial goals during his time as a player at Arsenal, could be an outside bet for finishing up as the top goalscorer of the league. With the likes of Manuel Friedrich, who was playing for Borussia Dortmund as late as last year, and Nicolas Anelka, Ljungberg does have the support cast to inspire his team.
NorthEast United FC
Joan Capdevila: In a side shorn of stardust, the Spanish left-back will bring much experience and nous. Possessing an envious double of a World Cup and a Euro winners' medal, Capdevila is a de-facto leader for the side.
FC Pune City
David Trezeguet: The other A-lister apart from Del Piero, 'Trezegol' will lead the Pune side both on and off the field. A side that is a bit light in the back, Kostas Katsouranis, who played for Greece in the World Cup in Brazil, and the former Juventus forward will be key names.