Durand Cup 2025 Group D Preview: New look Punjab FC up against newcomers

ISL side Punjab FC headline Group D

The 2025 Durand Cup guarantees to promote diversity in the Indian football scene by inviting teams from all around the country for the month-long bonanza. The most unique group, arguably, in the 2025 edition is that of Group D, which features Indian Super League (ISL) side Punjab FC facing off against some relatively newcomers in the tournament.

The Durand Cup rules permit only one team, the winners of each group, to directly qualify for the quarterfinals of the tournament. The three best second-placed teams will also gain a route to the knockout stages, and Group D could have a potential team vying for that best second-place team.

Punjab FC are, of course, the major favorites to win their group. They finished in 9th place in the 2024-25 ISL campaign, but put in some efficient and impressive performances to win over plaudits from fans. The Lions have already been quite proactive in the 2025 summer window in terms of shaking up their squad before the Durand Cup.

The new signings of Punjab FC like Muhammed Uvais, Bijoy Varghese and Princeton Rebello could all get their respective debuts in the Durand Cup. Even though they might not field any foreigners, Punjab FC boast a strong and proactive Indian core that can help them go all the way in the Durand Cup.

Bodoland FC will be making their return to the Durand Cup, remaining as the first Assamese club to have played in the tournament. In fact, their impact on helping improve football in the state was even praised by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a recent address.

The local players in the Bodoland FC side have the perfect chance to prove their quality and impress the scouts watching their Durand Cup games by producing some efficient performances to grind out surprise results.

Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC are the second Assamese team to be involved in this group and they have some decent experience behind them. They have won the Assamese State League twice over the last decade and also have some talented young players to help them compete strongly in the Durand Cup.

Morning Star will need to keep themselves grounded and produce some tenacious performances to get positive results and help compete for a place in the knockout rounds.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police are the representatives of the Indian Armed Forces in Group D of the 2025 Durand Cup. They boast courageous, hard-working footballers who will definitely take the fight to their opponents in the group.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police side will be determined to prove their doubters wrong by coming up with some gritty performances to pop a few surprises in the group stages.

Players to Watch

Muhammad Suhail F (Punjab FC)

The 18-year-old forward should get plenty of playing minutes at the 2025 Durand Cup and it’ll be an ideal platform for him to prove his quality at the senior level. Suhail made 12 appearances in the 2024-25 ISL season for his side, but was not able to really score any goals.

The versatile forward has, although, scored two goals in six appearances for the Punjab FC U21 side. Suhail boasts that unpredictable touch to his game, being able to speed past opposition players and sneak his way into promising scoring areas. He will look to use his trickery and goal-scoring edge to help Punjab FC power through their matches and take them deep into the tournament.

Diner Narjinari (Bodoland FC)

Diner Narjinari has been an impressive performer in the Assam State League system over the last few years. He scored a plethora of goals for United Chirag FC in the 2024-25 Assam State League and will hope to bring that form to the national level.

The 24-year-old forward boasts impressive off-the-ball movement and game-reading skills to get in the right places at the right time. He’ll need to be clinical in putting away any chances that come at his disposal to really stand out at the Durand Cup and help his side get some positive results.

Moirangthem Malemnganba (Morning Star FC)

The 19-year-old winger will be one to watch for Morning Star FC in their participation in the 2025 Durand Cup. Malemnganba produced some admirable performances for Morning Star FC at the 2024-25 I-League 3 campaign, even scoring one goal in just four games.

Malemnganba will be looking to make a positive impact in the Durand Cup and catch the attention of major Indian clubs. He’ll look to use his trickery with the ball and speed to burst past defenders, but needs to be at his clinical best with his crosses or finishing to really help Morning Star get some big results.

Fixtures

July 27: Indo-Tibetan Border Police vs Morning Star FC

July 31: Bodoland FC vs Morning Star FC

August 3: Morning Star vs Punjab FC

August 6: Indo-Tibetan Border Police vs Punjab FC

August 9: Bodoland FC vs Punjab FC

August 12: Indo-Tibetan Border Police vs Bodoland FC

Where and how to watch Durand Cup 2025?

The 2025 Durand Cup Group D matches will take place from 27 July to 12 August, with all the matches taking place in Kokrajhar, Assam. All the 2025 Durand Cup matches will be shown on Sony Ten Sports and Sony LIV.

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