All you need to know about the return of I-League 2021-22 season

The league resumes after a long halt in late December.

The 2021-22 I-League season is finally about to make a return after COVID-19 disrupted its proceedings back in December. While the Indian Super League (ISL) season nears its end phase, the Indian football season will be stretched for a bit longer than usual.

So far, 12 of the 13 participating teams have just played one game in the 2021/22 season. They will now have to complete their remaining league fixtures before the Championship rounds can be played later on. So here are some things fans should know about the return of the I-League 2021-22 season.

Sudden Halt

The 2021-22 edition of the I-League, which is being held in Kolkata this season, was forced to be stopped on December 29 as the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic gripped West Bengal. As many as eight players from Real Kashmir reportedly tested positive, completely thwarting their plans of playing.

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But it was soon made clear that the spread of the disease wasn’t limited to a single team. Aizawl FC and Sreenidi Deccan FC also had a few COVID cases in their squad and title favorites Mohammedan Sporting were also reportedly affected by it.

More than 40 players inside the league bio-bubble had returned positive results, the I-League had said in a release. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) was forced to halt the league immediately after learning of these cases. The I-League season was initially postponed for a few days, before the AIFF was forced to postpone it for at least six weeks as India struggled with the peak of the COVID-19 third wave.

Six-Week Break

After it was postponed in the middle of January, the AIFF remained silent on exactly when the I-league season would restart. Teams and owners were left sweating as they had players contracted only until March – the original period when the season was supposed to end.

But they have had to work hard to extend those deals to accommodate the changes. The AIFF released the dates of the restart of the I-League season on February 1, announcing that it will restart on March 3 and giving teams adequate enough time to prepare.

In February, the majority of the teams started gathering in Kolkata once again and start training after a long gap.

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Rescheduled fixtures

The AIFF announced that the first game after the I-League’s restart will take place between Sreenidi Deccan FC taking on TRAU FC on March 3. There will be two more games to take place on the same day – NEROCA FC face defending champions Gokulam Kerala as well as Aizawl FC facing Mohammedan Sporting.

1. Sreenidi Deccan Football Club vs Tiddim Road Athletic Union. 03-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan
2. NEROCA FC vs Gokulam Kerala FC. 03-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
3. Aizawl FC vs Mohammedan Sporting Club. 03-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani 
4. Sudeva Delhi FC vs Indian Arrows. 04-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati       
5. Real Kashmir FC vs Kenkre FC. 04-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
6. Punjab Football Club vs Churchill Brothers FC Goa. 04-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati  
7. Mohammedan Sporting Club vs Sreenidi Deccan Football Club. 07-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan  
8. Gokulam Kerala FC vs Real Kashmir FC. 07-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
9. Tiddim Road Athletic Union vs NEROCA FC. 07-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani    
10. Rajasthan United Football Club vs Aizawl FC. 08-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati    
11. Kenkre FC vs Punjab Football Club. 08-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
12. Churchill Brothers FC Goa vs Sudeva Delhi FC. 08-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati  
13. Rajasthan United Football Club vs Sudeva Delhi FC. 11-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan
14. Punjab Football Club vs Aizawl FC. 11-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
15. Real Kashmir FC vs Sreenidi Deccan Football Club. 11-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani    
16. Tiddim Road Athletic Union vs Churchill Brothers FC Goa. 12-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati
17. Gokulam Kerala FC vs Kenkre FC. 12-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
18. Mohammedan Sporting Club vs Indian Arrows. 12-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati  
19. Sudeva Delhi FC vs Aizawl FC. 15-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan    
20. Punjab Football Club vs Sreenidi Deccan Football Club. 15-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
21. Real Kashmir FC vs NEROCA FC. 15-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani    
22. Rajasthan United Football Club vs Indian Arrows. 16-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati    
23. Mohammedan Sporting Club vs Churchill Brothers FC Goa. 16-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
24. Tiddim Road Athletic Union vs Kenkre FC. 16-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati    
25. Indian Arrows vs Aizawl FC. 20-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan    
26. Sudeva Delhi FC vs Sreenidi Deccan Football Club. 20-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
27. Punjab Football Club vs NEROCA FC. 20-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani    
28. Rajasthan United Football Club vs Churchill Brothers FC Goa 21-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati    
29. Tiddim Road Athletic Union vs Gokulam Kerala FC. 21-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
30. Mohammedan Sporting Club vs Kenkre FC. 21-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati    
31. Indian Arrows vs Sreenidi Deccan Football Club. 24-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan    
32. Sudeva Delhi FC vs NEROCA FC. 24-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
33. Churchill Brothers FC Goa vs Aizawl FC. 24-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani  
34. Rajasthan United Football Club vs Kenkre FC. 25-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati     
35. Punjab Football Club vs Real Kashmir FC. 25-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
36. Mohammedan Sporting Club vs Gokulam Kerala FC. 25-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati    
37. NEROCA FC vs Indian Arrows. 28-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan    
38. Aizawl FC vs Kenkre FC. 28-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
39. Sreenidi Deccan Football Club vs Churchill Brothers FC Goa. 28-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani  
40. Real Kashmir FC vs Sudeva Delhi FC. 29-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati    
41. Gokulam Kerala FC vs Rajasthan United Football Club. 29-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
42. Tiddim Road Athletic Union vs Mohammedan Sporting Club. 29-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati    

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I-League 2021-22 April Fixtures

1. Sreenidi Deccan Football Club vs Kenkre FC. 01-04-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan  
2. Aizawl FC vs Gokulam Kerala FC. 01-04-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani      
3. NEROCA FC vs Churchill Brothers FC Goa. 01-04-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani    
4. Real Kashmir FC vs Indian Arrows. 02-04-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati    
5. Punjab Football Club vs Sudeva Delhi FC. 02-04-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
6. Tiddim Road Athletic Union vs Rajasthan United Football Club. 02-04-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati    
7. NEROCA FC vs Kenkre FC. 05-04-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan    
8. Sreenidi Deccan Football Club vs Gokulam Kerala FC. 05-04-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
9. Aizawl FC vs Tiddim Road Athletic Union. 05-04-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani    
10. Punjab Football Club vs Indian Arrows. 06-04-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati    
11. Mohammedan Sporting Club vs Rajasthan United Football Club. 06-04-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
12. Real Kashmir FC vs Churchill Brothers FC Goa. 06-04-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati    
13. Tiddim Road Athletic Union vs Sudeva Delhi FC. 09-04-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan 
14. Gokulam Kerala FC vs Indian Arrows. 09-04-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani   
15. NEROCA FC vs Aizawl FC. 09-04-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani   
16. Kenkre FC vs Churchill Brothers FC Goa. 10-04-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati    
17. Rajasthan United Football Club vs Real Kashmir FC. 10-04-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani     
18. Mohammedan Sporting Club vs Punjab Football Club. 10-04-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati    
19. Aizawl FC vs Sreenidi Deccan Football Club. 14-04-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan    
20. NEROCA FC vs Rajasthan United Football Club. 14-04-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
21. Real Kashmir FC vs Mohammedan Sporting Club. 14-04-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani    
22. Indian Arrows vs Kenkre FC. 15-04-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati    
23. Sudeva Delhi FC vs Gokulam Kerala FC. 15-04-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
24. Punjab Football Club vs Tiddim Road Athletic Union. 15-04-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati    
25. Sreenidi Deccan Football Club vs Rajasthan United Football Club. 18-04-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan    
26. NEROCA FC vs Mohammedan Sporting Club. 18-04-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
27. Indian Arrows vs Churchill Brothers FC Goa. 18-04-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani
28. Sudeva Delhi FC vs Kenkre FC. 19-04-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati
29. Punjab Football Club vs Gokulam Kerala FC. 19-04-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani
30. Real Kashmir FC vs Tiddim Road Athletic Union. 19-04-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati

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COVID-19 guidelines

As was the case before the season was halted, the I-League season will be played with a strict secure bio-bubble in Kolkata. The games will take place in three stadiums, the Mohun Bagan Ground, Naihati Stadium as well as the Kalyani Stadium.

As part of the bio-bubble guidelines, the players and support staff of a club has to stay in a single hotel – maintaining adequate social distancing and COVID-19 appropriate rules. Only during training games and matches itself can the entire group of players be together  - as well as during the travelling period.

Despite COVID-19 rules being relaxed in West Bengal and a recent T20 game between India and West Indies being played in front of a 20,000 strong crowd at the Eden Gardens, the AIFF has decided to host the I-League games behind closed doors.

That means, at least until further notice, there will be no spectators allowed in the grounds when matches are going on. Players or staff members are not allowed with anyone outside the bio-bubble and anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 will have to self-isolate themselves.

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Recap

The I-League 2021-22 season officially kicked off on December 26, 2021. There were six games that took place over the course of two days, December 26 and December 27, before the league had to be suspended due to the surge in COVID-19 cases.

RoundGlass Punjab FC currently sit on top of the table having won their first game 2-0 – being the only team able to keep a clean sheet so far. NEROCA FC are in second place, with Real Kashmir in third position ahead of the restart of the season.

Kenkre FC are the only team yet to play a single game this season. Rajasthan United FC sit at the bottom after losing their I-League debut game 0-2 to RoundGlass Punjab.

Broadcast info

The live telecast of the I-League games will be available to watch on the 1Sports channel. The matches will also be streamed live on the Facebook page of 1Sports.

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