Overview
- Jamie Maclaren and Tom Aldred scored in a 2-0 win at Salt Lake Stadium to open Mohun Bagan’s title defense.
- The league shifts to a single-leg, 14-team round-robin totaling 91 matches with no playoffs, and the table-toppers will be crowned champions.
- The AIFF confirms relegation for the bottom club to the rebranded Indian Football League, with the IFL champions to be promoted.
- FanCode will stream all matches digitally as Sony Pictures Networks India airs games on television via a sublicensing deal (Sony Sports Ten 2).
- Operational strains continue, with Odisha vs Punjab postponed over venue confirmation and several clubs short on foreign players, as FC Goa host debutants Inter Kashi in the late opener.