The groupings for the upcoming 2023 Hero Indian Women’s League or the IWL were announced by AIFF on Thursday, 30th March 2023. 16 teams have been divided into two groups of eight for the tournament that is set to commence on April 25, 2023. The top four teams from each group will qualify for the knockout stage, consisting of quarterfinals, semi-finals and final. This is a format change from the normal league system of last season where clubs played each other once to crown the champions at the end of the round of games.
The top eight teams will also get direct slots in next season’s Hero IWL, which will be played on a home-and-away basis. It is stated by AIFF Secretary General, Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran that this season’s IWL is like a qualification competition of a more competitive league that will come into effect in the next campaign. The champions of the respective states will compete in the tournament. Gokulam Kerala FC Women are the defending champions having won the title for back-to-back seasons. They are also the record holders of the IWL hoping to win it for a third consecutive time.
Group A
Gokulam Kerala FC (Kerala)
Mata Rukmani FC (Chhattisgarh)
HOPS FC (Delhi)
Misaka United FC (Karnataka)
Kahaani FC (Gujrat)
East Bengal FC (West Bengal)
Sports Odisha (Odisha)
Mumbai Knights FC (Maharashtra)
Defending champions Gokulam Kerala FC are drawn with Mata Rukmani FC as the only other IWL participants from the previous season in Group A. The side from Chhattisgarh will be hoping to improve on their 11th-place finish last term. East Bengal FC has been included this season to compete in the national league after winning the Calcutta Women’s League.
Group B
Sethu FC (Tamil Nadu)
Kickstart FC (Karnataka)
Celtic Queens FC (Pondicherry)
Eastern Sporting Union (Manipur)
CRPF FC (Punjab)
Churchill Brothers FCG (Goa)
Lords FA Kochi (Kerala)
Odisha FC (Odisha)
The star attraction of the group will be Odisha FC who are only the fifth ISL side to have a women’s team. The Juggernauts have made a catalog of high-profile signings with a number of national team players making up the squad. None is more eye-catching than the acquisition of ex-Rangers FC forward and Indian Women's national team top-scorer, Bala Devi. Two clubs from South India, Sethu FC and Kickstart FC will be the other top sides in Group B making it one to watch out for.
