The 10th season of the prestigious top-flight football competition of India, the Indian Super League (ISL) is all set to commence tonight, i.e. September 21, with the southern derby between Kerala Blasters FC (KBFC) and Bengaluru FC (BFC).
At 11 different venues, games will be played in a home-and-away style. Mohun Bagan Super Giant (MBSG) and East Bengal FC, two bitter rivals, will play their home matches at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium. One of the 12 clubs contesting this season is Punjab FC, the 2022–23 I-League winners who have been promoted to the premier division. For the first time ever, the ISL will include 12 clubs this year.
Moreover, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has also launched VAR Lite, which will assist referees in making specific decisions on which they have uncertainties.
The side with the most points at the conclusion of the league stage will advance to the group stage of the AFC Champions League 2 (which in turn will be renamed from the AFC Cup). The top two teams will also go automatically to the ISL 2023–24 semifinals, while the teams in positions three through six will compete in elimination rounds for the final two berths.
The Kolkata Derby will be conducted on October 28 and the second portion of the schedule is yet to be disclosed.
Matches in season 10 will begin at 8:00 PM IST and the first match will begin at 5:30 PM on the day of double-headers.
Where to Watch:
Viacom18, the Indian media broadcasting behemoth, has secured media broadcasting rights to the competition. Football fans can catch the live action in four languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, and Malayalam on Sports18, VH1, Sports18 Hindi, DD Bangla, and Surya Movies. The league will also be available on Viacom18’s OTT platform, JioCinema.