Sunil Chhetri & Bhaichung Bhutia hunt for India's next football star in ISL's new ad

The 2024-25 edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) kicks off on September 13, 2024, with a much-anticipated clash between last season's finalists, Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Mumbai City FC. To amplify the excitement ahead of this marquee event, ISL has launched a campaign titled 'Indian Football ka #AglaHeroKaun.' The ad film ropes in some of India’s most celebrated sports personalities to debate the million-dollar question --- Who will be the next big star of Indian football?

The film opens with football icon Bhaichung Bhutia posing a question to former Indian team captain, Sunil Chhetri, "Socha hai, humare baad Indian football ka agla hero kaun banega?" (Have you ever wondered who will be Indian football's next hero after us?) Chhetri responds, "India se poochte hai" (Let's ask India).

The baton is passed to former cricketer and Indian national team coach, Ravi Shastri, as the two football legends probe further, but the search continues. They turn to Olympic gold medalist Manu Bhaker, hoping her precision might provide an answer.

In the next sequence, Indian cricket ace Jasprit Bumrah is seen weighing in on the contenders, trying to pick between Kiyan Nassiri and Sivasakthi Narayanan as the next ace footballer. P V Sindhu, Ranbir Kapoor, and John Abraham (the latter two associated with ISL teams) also join the conversation, offering their takes on who could fill the boots of the next football hero.

Despite all the suggestions from India’s sporting elite, the ad closes on a tantalizing note, with Sunil Chhetri again asking, "Toh agla hero kaun?" (So, who will be the next hero?), to which Bhutia aptly replies, "ISL dekh ke hee pata chalega" (We'll only know after watching ISL).

With a star-studded cast blending sports icons and Bollywood celebs, this ad, conceptualised by Creativeland Asia, taps into the pulse of Indian football fandom. It positions the ISL as the stage where the next generation of football heroes will rise, fueling the passion of a nation eager to find its next football icon.