Kokrajhar: Muhammad Suhail was not a name many were aware of other than those who follow Punjab FC. All that changed in the 2023-24 season, when the Shers were crowned the Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL) champions beating East Bengal 3-2 in the national championship finals. Suhail received the Golden Ball award for the best player of the tournament as a 17-year-old and it speded up his transition into the senior side.

That incidentally happened in the Durand Cup 2025, which is why he holds it so special, before he went on to become one of the most attacking Shers for the rest of the season.

“The Durand Cup is where I played senior level football for the first time and it was a totally different experience for me. I understood where I was as a player and what I needed to do to consistently to play at this level,” said a very shy Suhail, who until then had played only in the junior level and leagues for Punjab FC.

“If you need to play and play football in a high level, you will have to stay and fight there,” says Suhail. He also had the support of his friends back home and others in his boyhood club Marhaba FC where he used to play before joining Punjab FC. All this motivation helped him to stay, and he felt in hindsight, it was definitely the correct decision.

Suhail’s rise from the academy to the senior side was rapid. Interestingly, he started as a centre back at the academy and he was converted to a forward in the Under-17 level. That is when he realised his game is more suited for playing up front. “That was the time when I realised my true game, which opened up my chances in the senior team,” said Suhail, who likes to dribble past defenders and cut inside to shoot.

After returning from the Premier League Next Generation Cup in England, he was directly called up for the senior team training. The youngster was named in the squad for the ISL 2024-25 season by Head Coach Panagiotis Dilmperis but he did not expect to feature much in the first team.

“I expected some minutes here and there as a substitute but I did not expect to feature much for the team. It was a surprise but I made full use of the chances I got and played my heart out,” said Suhail, who made 13 appearances in the ISL for Punjab last season, 11 of them in the starting eleven.

According to Suhail, he understood that his game was nowhere close to the standard of the senior side at the beginning. “I was not even close to be considered for the senior side in the beginning. I had to train harder and improve a lot to be considered. I developed physically and mentally and gradually it made me a thinking player. I got clarity of what I had to do to play more and contribute to the team,” Suhail added.

Durand Cup Heartbreak and Lessons Learnt

Punjab FC had a turbulent run in the Durand Cup 2025, getting knocked out in the group stages in Kokrajhar after suffering a shock 1-0 defeat to local side Bodoland FC in their last match. The team had scraped through to a 2-1 win over Karbi.

Anglong Morning Star FC and before being held to a goalless draw by Indo-Tibetan Border Police Football Team in their first two matches. Suhail was one of the bright spots in the team, continuing from where he left from last season with his speedy dribbles and crosses from the wings.

“The competition was very high and the opposition were physical. We expected tough matches but it was a more than what we expected but it all a learning experience for us,” expressed Suhail and when asked about his goal for the seasons to come, the soon-to-be 19-year-old replied with a smile, “Satyam paranjal onnum alochitilla (I haven’t thought about anything to be honest). I just want to keep playing and score and assist. Bakki okke verunnathu pole (Will tackle the rest as it comes),” he ended.

Eyes on the Future

Even though Suhail’s Durand Cup campaign did not go as planned, Indian football will be hearing a lot from him in the coming years. The lanky boy from Kerala, who once used to play in the mud grounds of Railway colony in Palakkad, can take pride in the recognition he has earned for his hard work and the sacrifices of everyone around him.