Chennaiyin FC announced the signing of defender Bikash Yumnam on Monday.
The 19-year-old will join the Marina Machans for his maiden Indian Super League (ISL) campaign.
“I’m really excited to be part of Chennaiyin FC. I am thankful to the management for this opportunity and really looking forward to the season,” Yumnam said.
Yumnam will play alongside some of the most seasoned defenders, which include Senegalese star Fallou Diagne, Iran’s Vafa Hakhamaneshi and India’s Narayan Das.
Yumnam has been a regular in the Indian youth teams, having played for the U-16, U-19 and U-20 sides. He was part of the 2022 SAFF U-20 Championship-winning Indian team and also participated in the AFC U-20 Asian Cup Qualifiers 2023 in October last year.
At 16, Yumnam made his professional debut for Indian Arrows in the I-League in 2019 before moving to RoundGlass Punjab FC. He has spent more than 2,000 minutes on the pitch in 29 I-League appearances so far, registering one goal and one assist.
Yumnam will be eligible for selection when Chennaiyin takes on ATK Mohun Bagan in its next ISL 2022-23 match in Chennai on January 21.
