Nikhil Barla

Nikhil Barla
Personal information
Full name Nikhil Barla
Date of birth (2003-08-05) 5 August 2003 (age 23)
Place of birth Khunti, Jharkhand, India
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position Right-back
Team information
Current team
 NorthEast United
Youth career
2018–2021 Tata Football Academy
2021–2022 Jamshedpur B
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2022 Jamshedpur B 7 (1)
2022–2026 Jamshedpur 55 (1)
2026– NorthEast United 1 (0)
International career‡
2025– India U23 1 (0)
2026– India 3 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16 October 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 20:00, 9 June 2026 (UTC)

Nikhil Barla (born 5 August 2003) is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Indian Super League club NorthEast United and the India national team.

Club career

Barla joined the Tata Football Academy in 2018, where he remained until joining Jamshedpur in 2021. He began his professional career with Jamshedpur in 2021. In the 2020–21 season, he played three matches at the 2021 Durand Cup.

In the following season, he did not play for the senior team, instead playing at the 2022 Development League for the youth team. In a match against Bengaluru he scored a goal, his first in his career. Since the 2022–23 season, he became an important part of the Jamshedpur senior team, having played in almost every matches in the ISL.

International career

In May 2025, India under-23 head coach Naushad Moosa listed Barla in the 29-members probable squad for two friendlies that will be held in Tajikistan in June 2025.

Career statistics

Club

As of 3 May 2025
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoal
Jamshedpur B 2022 RFDL 71–––71
Jamshedpur 2021–22 Indian Super League 00–30–30
2022–23 Indian Super League 10–30–40
2023–24 Indian Super League 19020––210
2024–25 Indian Super League 2213020–271
Total 421508000551
Total 492508000622
  1. 1 2 3 Appearance(s) in Durand Cup
  2. 1 2 Appearance(s) in Super Cup

International

As of 9 June 2026
National teamYearAppsGoals
India 202630
Total30

References

  1. ↑ Lall Seal, Arnab. "ISL: Barla ready to keep the local spirit burnaing at furnace". The Times of India. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
  2. ↑ "Nikhil Barla profile". All India Football Federation. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
  3. ↑ "Nikhil Barla profile". Indian Super League. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
  4. 1 2 Nikhil Barla at Soccerway
  5. ↑ "Nikhil Barla interview: my dream is to play for India national football team". Indian Super League. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
  6. ↑ "Naushad Moosa names 29-member probable squad for India U23s". All India Football Federation. Archived from the original on 22 May 2025. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  7. ↑ Nikhil Barla at National-Football-Teams.com