Vinit Rai
{{short description|Indian footballer (born 1997)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2016}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Vinit Rai
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| fullname = Vinit Rai Chamling
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1997|10|10|df=y}}
| birth_place = Duliajan, Assam, India
| position = Central midifelder, Defensive midifelder
| currentclub = Punjab
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 = 2010–2014
| youthclubs1 = Tata Football Academy
| youthyears2 = 2014
| youthclubs2 = Dempo
| years1 = 2014–2016
| clubs1 = Dempo
| caps1 = 2
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2016–2017
| clubs2 = Kerala Blasters
| caps2 = 2
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2017
| clubs3 = → Minerva Punjab (loan)
| caps3 = 4
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2017–2023
| clubs4 = Odisha
| caps4 = 68
| goals4 = 1
| years5 = 2021–2023
| clubs5 = → Mumbai City (loan)
| caps5 = 20
| goals5 = 2
| years6 = 2023–2024
| clubs6 = Mumbai City
| caps6 = 15
| goals6 = 0
| years7 = 2024–
| clubs7 = Punjab
| caps7 = 0
| goals7 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 2015–2019
| nationalteam1 = India U23
| nationalcaps1 = 7
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2018–
| nationalteam2 = India
| nationalcaps2 = 11
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| club-update = 17:48, 4 May 2024 (UTC)
| ntupdate = 21:10, 19 November 2019 (UTC)
}}
Vinit Rai Chamling (born 10 October 1997) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Indian Super League club Punjab and the India national team.
Club career
Born in Duliajan, Assam, Rai was scouted by the Duliajan Football Academy and later by the Tata Football Academy at the age of 13 and trained there for four years.{{cite news|title=Kerala Blasters sign Vinit Rai|url=http://www.arunfoot.com/kerala-blasters-sign-indian-teenager-vinit-rai-isl-3/|access-date=2 October 2016|work=Arunfoot|date=6 September 2016|archive-date=14 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414232050/http://www.arunfoot.com/kerala-blasters-sign-indian-teenager-vinit-rai-isl-3/|url-status=live}} After graduating from Tata, Rai signed with I-League side Dempo. On signing Rai, Dempo head coach at the time, Arthur Papas said "Vinit is a very cultured midfielder with a great range of passing. He has a willingness to always want the ball and link the play between the defensive and forward lines."{{cite news|title=Young Players to watch out for in Dempo|url=https://www.the-aiff.com/news-center-details.htm?id=5848|access-date=2 October 2016|work=The All India Football Federation|date=12 August 2014|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304085737/https://www.the-aiff.com/news-center-details.htm?id=5848|url-status=live}} Rai would enter the 2014–15 season with Dempo as the youngest first-team player. After spending a majority of the season playing for the club's youth team, Rai made his professional debut for Dempo in the league on 1 March 2015 against East Bengal. He came on as an 81st-minute substitute for Jewel Raja as Dempo lost 5–1.{{cite web|title=Dempo 1-5 East Bengal|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2015/03/01/india/i-league/dempo-sports-club/east-bengal-club-fc/1981007/|website=Soccerway|access-date=21 February 2018|archive-date=10 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310013053/https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2015/03/01/india/i-league/dempo-sports-club/east-bengal-club-fc/1981007/|url-status=live}}
=Kerala Blasters=
After helping Dempo regain promotion to the I-League, Rai signed with Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters on 6 September 2016. He made his debut for the team on 1 October 2016 against NorthEast United. He started the match and played 76 minutes as Kerala Blasters fell 1–0.{{cite web|title=NorthEast United 1-0 Kerala Blasters|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2016/10/01/india/indian-super-league/northeast-united/kerala-blasters/2348820/|website=Soccerway|access-date=21 February 2018|archive-date=12 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161112024350/http://int.soccerway.com/matches/2016/10/01/india/indian-super-league/northeast-united/kerala-blasters/2348820/|url-status=live}}
=Minerva Punjab=
After the ISL 2016 season, Vinit Rai signed with Minerva FC and will make its debut in I-league this season.{{cite web|title=Vinit Rai to play is trade for Minerva FC|url=http://goalie365.com/show_details.php?article_id=873&topic=Vinit%20Rai%20to%20play%20is%20trade%20for%20Minerva%20FC%5C|website=Goalie365|access-date=5 January 2017|archive-date=14 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714040108/http://goalie365.com/show_details.php?article_id=873&topic=Vinit%20Rai%20to%20play%20is%20trade%20for%20Minerva%20FC%5C|url-status=live}}
=Odisha FC=
Rai joined Odisha FC for the 2019–20 ISL season as a midfielder.{{cite web |title=Vinit Rai-profile |url=https://www.indiansuperleague.com/players/midfielder-26742-vinit-rai-profile |website=indiansuperleague.com |access-date=15 May 2020 |archive-date=11 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191211181059/https://www.indiansuperleague.com/players/midfielder-26742-vinit-rai-profile |url-status=live }} He also captained the team.
==Loan to Mumbai City==
In 2022, Rai was loaned out to Indian Super League defending champions Mumbai City from Odisha. He was later included in club's 2022 AFC Champions League squad.{{cite web|url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/indian-football/all-need-know-mumbai-city-fc-s-afc-champions-league-2022-campaign|title=All you need to know about Mumbai City FC's AFC Champions League 2022 campaign|website=sportskeeda.com|publisher=Sportskeeda|date=6 April 2022|access-date=6 April 2022|first=Sayantan|last=Guha|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220406165901/https://www.sportskeeda.com/indian-football/all-need-know-mumbai-city-fc-s-afc-champions-league-2022-campaign|archive-date=6 April 2022}}
International
Rai made his debut for the India under-23 side on 27 March 2015 against Uzbekistan U23 in the 2016 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers. He played 80 minutes as India U23 fell 2–0.{{cite web|title=Uzbekistan U23 2-0 India U23|url=http://www.the-afc.com/afcasfeeds?fixtureid=8826&stageid=348&tMode=C&view=ajax&show=matchsummary|website=The Asian Football Confederation|access-date=2 October 2016|archive-date=31 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831124754/http://www.the-afc.com/afcasfeeds?fixtureid=8826&stageid=348&tMode=C&view=ajax&show=matchsummary|url-status=live}} Almost a year later, Rai made his debut on the bench for the India senior side in their FIFA World Cup qualifier against Iran. He did not come off the bench though.{{cite web|title=Iran 4-0 India|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2016/03/24/asia/wc-qualifying-asia/iran/india/2028666/|website=Soccerway|access-date=21 February 2018|archive-date=8 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808114624/http://int.soccerway.com/matches/2016/03/24/asia/wc-qualifying-asia/iran/india/2028666/|url-status=live}} Rai, however, did make his unofficial debut for India in the team's unofficial friendly against Bhutan. He came on as a 64th minute for Rowllin Borges as India won 3–0.{{cite web|title=Bhutan 0-3 India|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2016/08/13/world/friendlies/bhutan/india/2329193/|website=Soccerway|access-date=21 February 2018|archive-date=29 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129010340/http://int.soccerway.com/matches/2016/08/13/world/friendlies/bhutan/india/2329193/|url-status=live}}
Career statistics
= Club =
{{updated|4 May 2024}}{{Soccerway|vinit-rai-chamling/395903}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" | ||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup !colspan="2"|AFC !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="1" |Dempo
| rowspan="1" |I-League |2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 2 | 0 | ||
| rowspan="1" |Kerala Blasters
|2016 | rowspan="1" |Indian Super League |2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 2 | 0 | ||
| rowspan="1" |Minerva Punjab (loan)
| rowspan="1" |I-League |4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 4 | 0 | ||
| rowspan="6" |Odisha
| rowspan="5" |Indian Super League |13 | 0 | 1{{efn|name=SuperCup|Appearance(s) in Super Cup}} | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 14 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19
|16 | 0 | 1{{efn|name=SuperCup}} | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 17 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20
|15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 15 | 1 | ||
| 2020–21
|16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 16 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22
|8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 8 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2" |Total
!68 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 1 | |
| rowspan="2" |Mumbai City (loan)
| rowspan="2" |Indian Super League |9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5{{efn|name=statsAFCCL|Appearance(s) in AFC Champions League}} | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2022–23
|11 | 2 | 8{{efn|name=DurandCup|Appearance(s) in Durand Cup}}{{efn|name=SuperCup}} | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 19 | 2 | ||
| rowspan="2" |Mumbai City
| rowspan="1" |Indian Super League |15 | 0 | 6{{efn|name=DurandCup}}{{efn|name=SuperCup}} | 0 | 4{{efn|name=statsAFCCL}} | 0 | 25 | 0 | |
| colspan="2" |Total
!35 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 58 | 2 | |
| rowspan="1" |Punjab
| rowspan="1" |Indian Super League |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 0 | 0 | ||
| colspan="3" |Career total
!111 | 3 | 16 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 136 | 3 |
{{notelist}}
=International=
{{updated|matches played till 19 November 2019}}{{cite web|last=Strack-Zimmermann|first=Benjamin|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/64927/Vinit_Rai.html|title=NFT player — National team & Club appearances: Rai, Vinit|publisher=National Football Teams|access-date=18 November 2022|archive-date=5 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005114611/http://www.national-football-teams.com/player/64927/Vinit_Rai.html|website=national-football-teams.com|url-status=live}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
!National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals | ||
| rowspan="2" |India
|2018 | 6 | 0 |
| 2019 | 5 | 0 |
| colspan="2" |Total
!11 | 0 |
|---|
Honours
Mumbai City
- Indian Super League (Premiership): 2022–23
- Durand Cup runner-up: 2022{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.in/football/india-ind/story/4750058/durand-cup-2022-review-curtain-raiser-indian-football-season?platform=amp|title=Durand Cup 2022 review: The perfect curtain-raiser to the Indian football season|website=www.espn.in|publisher=ESPN|first=Aaditya|last=Narayan|date=19 September 2022|access-date=20 September 2022|location=Kolkata|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920142913/https://www.espn.in/football/india-ind/story/4750058/durand-cup-2022-review-curtain-raiser-indian-football-season?platform=amp|archive-date=20 September 2022}}
India
- SAFF Championship runner-up: 2018
- King's Cup third place: 2019
India U23
- South Asian Games Silver medal: 2016
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.indiansuperleague.com/kerala-blasters-fc/squad/midfielder-26742-vinit-rai-playerprofile Indian Super League Profile]
{{India squad 2019 AFC Asian Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rai, Vinit}}
Category:People from Dibrugarh district
Category:Footballers from Assam
Category:Indian men's footballers
Category:Kerala Blasters FC players
Category:Minerva Academy FC players
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Indian Super League players
Category:21st-century Indian sportsmen
Category:India men's youth international footballers
Category:2019 AFC Asian Cup players
Category:India men's international footballers
Category:Mumbai City FC players