MUMBAI: The 2022-23 Hero Indian Super League (ISL) kicks off on October 7th with last season’s runners-up Kerala Blasters hosting East Bengal FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi.
All ISL teams are currently participating in Asia’s oldest competition, the Durand Cup, as they gear up for the upcoming season. All Indian football stakeholders have been determined to create a longer football calendar that provides players with more competitive matches throughout the year. The ISL will be followed by the Super Cup in April, 2023.
The 2022-23 season will also be special as fans will be welcomed back to the stadiums after a gap of two seasons. To make it convenient for more fans and families to attend and watch their teams in action, the ISL has created a fixture list with matches taking place on weekends. Each match week is scheduled between Thursday and Sunday, bringing the ISL in line with the top global football leagues.
This season onwards, ISL promoters Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) has also introduced a new playoff format for the league, adding two exciting matches into the calendar. The top two teams at the end of the league stage will automatically qualify for the semi-finals. Teams finishing between 3rd and 6th will feature in a single-leg playoff to determine the other two semi-finalists.
New ISL Playoff Format
Eliminator 1: 3rd placed team vs 6th placed team
Eliminator 2: 4th placed team vs 5th placed team
Semi-Final 1 1st Leg: 1st placed team vs (Winner – Eliminator 2)
Semi-Final 2 1st Leg: 2nd placed team vs (Winner – Eliminator 1)
Semi-Final 1 2nd Leg: (Winner – Eliminator 2) vs 1st placed team
Semi-Final 2 2nd Leg: (Winner – Eliminator 1) vs 2nd placed team
Final: (Winner Semi-Final 1) vs (Winner Semi-Final 2)
Key dates at a glance
Opening Match: October 7th
Last League Stage Matchweek: February 23rd – 26th, 2023
Playoffs, Semifinals and Final: March 2023
For full fixtures of the Hero ISL 2022-23 season, click here…
