Inter Kashi sign 16 players and register 22-man squad for ISL 2026-27 after FIFA lifts bans

Inter Kashi have signed 16 players and registered a 22-man squad for the Indian Super League 2026-27 after FIFA lifted four transfer bans in the early hours of October 7, Khel Now can exclusively reveal. The bans had prevented the club from registering players for the season until outstanding payments were settled.

The transfer restrictions were imposed over unpaid dues to four former players and were removed following payments completed last week. All 22 registered players are Indian, leaving Inter Kashi as the only ISL club without a foreign player in their squad. The club has been under financial strain since its principal investor informed Kashi it would not continue at the end of last season and the search for a replacement has not succeeded. Kashi have yet to begin pre-season; Khel Now understands the players are likely to report within the next 24 hours and the club remains in final discussions to confirm the Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi, Pune, as its home ground for the season.

Inter Kashi have agreed terms with Carlos Vaz Pinto to take charge as coach. The Portuguese manager had two spells at Sreenidi Deccan, taking them to successive I-League runners-up finishes in 2022-23 and 2023-24 before returning for the 2025-26 season, which he left at the end of that campaign.

The new signings leave the squad heavily weighted towards defence: Kashi signed seven defenders and only two central midfielders, and six of the arrivals came from Jamshedpur FC after that club’s withdrawal from the ISL. Goalkeepers in the registered squad are Albino Gomes (32, from Jamshedpur FC), Shubham Balasaheb Dhas (28) and Mohit Singh Dhami (21). Albino is the most established name, having won his second India cap yesterday when he came on for Gurpreet Singh Sandhu against Uruguay in Kolkata, four months after making his debut at 32; his previous clubs include Aizawl, Kerala Blasters, Churchill Brothers, Sreenidi Deccan and two seasons at Jamshedpur.

Defensive recruits include Laldinliana Renthlei (28, from Chennaiyin FC), Pratik Chaudhari (37, from Jamshedpur FC), Gursimrat Singh Gill (29, from Rajasthan United), Nishchal Chandan (27, from Punjab FC), Leewan Castanha (23, from Jamshedpur FC), Sajad Hussain Parray (23, from Mohammedan SC) and Tanush Pandey (21, from Maharashtra Oranje FC). The group also features Aritra Das, who has been at Kashi since July 2024. Parray terminated his contract with Mohammedan Sporting over non-payment and is set to play for Kashi this season.

Midfield and attack signings include Hitesh Sharma (28, from Odisha FC) and Jitendra Singh (25, from Chennaiyin FC) in midfield, and forwards Sumeet Passi (32), Manvir Singh (25), Rosenberg Gilbert Gabriel (27), Sreekuttan V S (28), Ashangbam Aphaoba Singh (22), Ayush Chhikara (24) and Thoi Singh Huidrom (22). Hitesh has 88 ISL appearances and won the ISL with Hyderabad in 2021-22; Jitendra has 73 ISL appearances and was part of India’s 2017 U-17 World Cup squad. Manvir has three India caps and has scored nine goals in 82 career appearances, including one in 31 ISL games.

Six players were retained from last season; three of those six were already contracted until May 2027, while the other three have signed new deals until the end of this season. Retained members listed by the club include Wayne Vaz (32, centre-back), Aritra Das (23, left-back), Karthik Jithendran Panicker (23, midfielder), Sumeet Passi (32, centre-forward), Shubham Balasaheb Dhas (28, goalkeeper) and Mohit Singh Dhami (21, goalkeeper). Sumeet is the squad’s longest-serving player, having joined in September 2023, and has nine India caps and four international goals; he played 21 times as Kashi won the I-League in 2024-25.

Khel Now understands Inter Kashi remain in talks with a few more players and whether any further deals close before October 11 will decide if they start the season with 22. The squad includes several figures with links to Churchill Brothers: Albino Gomes, Nishchal Chandan and Carlos Vaz Pinto have all played for the Goa club. The meeting with Churchill Brothers on November 27 carries an edge after the clubs contested the 2024-25 I-League title — the AIFF’s appeals committee handed it to Churchill in May 2025 before the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in July 2025 that Kashi were champions, two points clear on 42.

Inter Kashi open their ISL 2026-27 campaign against Kerala Blasters on October 11 and will play their first eight matches at home before four away trips to close Phase 1.