Ashique Kuruniyan

Early life and youth career

Born in Malappuram, Kerala, Kuruniyan was the fifth child to a father who owned a shop and a mother who was a housewife. In order to help support his family, Kuruniyan dropped out of school when he was in the eighth standard and began work in his father's sugarcane shop. When he finished his work in the evening, he would play football in the fields. He was soon selected by Vision India, a scheme started by the Kerala Football Association, and was with the academy until 2014, when he joined the academy of then I-League club, Pune. He played a pivotal role in Pune finishing as runner-up in the 2014–15 I-League U19 season. In 2016, when Pune FC's academy was sold and bought by Pune City, they rebranded the team into Pune City Academy, with whom Kuruniyan would join. In October 2016, it was announced that Kuruniyan would join La Liga side Villarreal on loan deal from Pune City, and would train with their third team – Villarreal CF C. However, in February 2017, Kuruniyan had to return to India due to suffering a hamstring injury ending his short four-month stint in Spain.

Pune City

In July 2017, it was confirmed that Kuruniyan had signed a professional contract with Pune City and was retained by the club for their upcoming Indian Super League campaign. He made his professional debut for the club on 10 December 2017 in their match against Jamshedpur. He came on as an 83rd-minute substitute for Emiliano Alfaro as Pune City won 1–0. He…

Kuruniyan have represented India in the under-18 and under-19 levels. He got his senior national team call-up, when he was selected for the Indian squad for the 2018 Intercontinental Cup following his standout performance in the 2017–18 ISL season. He made his national debut in the opening match of the tournament against Chinese Taipei as a substitute for Halicharan Narzary on 1 June 2018, which ended in a staggering 5–0 victory for India. He also played in the final of the 2018 Intercontinental Cup against Kenya as a substitute for Udanta Singh on 10 June 2018, which India won 2–0, thereby winning the first edition of the Intercontinental Cup and helping Kuruniyan to win his first international title Kuruniyan was in the squad to travel to Bangladesh for the 2018 SAFF Championship. He scored his debut goal for the national team in the match against Sri Lanka on India's first match of the tournament on 5 September 2018, where scored the opening goal as India won the match 2–0 at full-time. He also featured in India's 2–1 defeat in the final against Maldives on 15 September. Kuruniyan was a part of Indian squad to compete in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. He played all three group stage matches, including India's opening match against Thailand on 6 January 2019, which India won 1–4, thereby witnessing India's first victory in the Asian Cup in 55 years, and also became a part of India's largest win in their Asian Cup history. He also played the do-or-die match on 14 January…

Kuruniyan is a winger who can also play as a wing-back. He played as a left-back in the 2020–21 ISL season under Carles Cuadrat. He is widely appreciated for his pace and determination in the pitch by players and managers. He is also regarded for his versatility. Kuruniyan for a reason is considered as one of the future stars of Indian football.

Kuruniyan was born in Chungathara, Malappuram, Kerala on 14 June 1997. He married Aseela, a pharmacist from Malappuram, on 5 September 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He owns a football academy called the "AK22 Football Academy" in Malappuram.