Ashique Kuruniyan returns to Bengaluru FC on four-year contract

Panaji: Mohun Bagan Super Giant winger Ashique Kuruniyan has returned to Bengaluru FC on a four-year deal, three years after he had left the club to move to the Kolkata giants.

A free player after the end of his contract at Bagan, Ashique had other clubs chasing him for his signature, but found Bengaluru as the best option since he wanted to be closer to home.

The club’s decision to hand him a four-year contract also made the decision easier.

“Everything fell in place with the Bengaluru deal,” a source who has tracked the development told TOI on Sunday. “Ashique has a young kid and wanted to be closer to his family (in Kerala). Bengaluru also did well to convince him about their project.”

An explosive winger, the 27-year-old has been hampered by injuries and has not really lived up to the promise at Bagan. In the last two editions of the Indian Super League (ISL), which they won, the winger made 18 appearances each but could not open his goal account for the club.

Before joining Bagan in 2022, Ashique made 39 league appearances in total at Bengaluru, scoring two goals and providing one assist.

“Ashique still has plenty to offer,” said another official. “He can play in multiple positions, has plenty of pace, can work his way past defenders too. He just needs to get the finishing right. He will find it easy to adjust at Bengaluru since he’s someone who has been here in the past.”

Ashique was sidelined for several months due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury sustained during India’s King’s Cup match against Iraq in Thailand in 2023. He needed surgery and it took him a while to get back on the field and regain sharpness.

A regular with the national team since being handpicked by Stephen Constantine in 2018, Ashique also represented the country when Igor Stimac was in charge and was a first-choice forward for Manolo Marquez against Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 final round qualifier last week.