The stakes are set to be even higher in I-League 2024-25 with several teams strengthening their squad to be third side earning promotion to the ISL. Punjab FC and Mohammedan SC secured top-flight status by winning the I-League in the last two seasons after promotion began from the 2022-23 campaign. This has opened up chances for other teams that narrowly missed the chance in the earlier editions. The 2024-25 season is expected to be a more competitive one with three teams mainly fighting for the top spot namely Inter Kashi, Sreenidi Deccan and former winners Gokulam Kerala. Hence, a lot of heavyweight clashes are expected.
Here are the top games to watch in the I-League 2024-25 season:
Inter Kashi vs Gokulam Kerala
Among the favorites for the title this season will be Inter Kashi managed under one of the successful ISL managers Antonio Lopez Habas and two-time I-League winners Gokulam Kerala. The two games between them will be interesting to watch this season as both have made some interesting additions to the squad. Kashi brought in ISL Shield-winning experience in Joni Kauko while Malabarians secured the service of Martin Chaves of Churchill Brothers, one of the top goal contributors in the past couple of I-league seasons. Inter Kashi debuted last season as a corporate entry and played two thrilling games with Gokulam albeit losing the previous encounter 4-2. The first match will be played at Manjeri in January next year quickly followed by the reverse clash a game later in February 2025.
Churchill Brothers vs Dempo SC
Record league winners Dempo SC completed a decade-old hurdle to return to the I-League after securing promotion from the third division last season. As a result, they will play their arch-rivals Churchill Brothers in the Goan derby in the I-League this season. Two-time I-League winners themselves, the Red Machines have been a mainstay in the competition since the competition began, so they would love to make a mark in the two derbies. The team will be desperate to do so as they need more victories in this fixture with just two managed from 12 league encounters and just three overall. Dempo has been a dominant force with eight derby wins, including six in the I-League, under the belt and will want to prove they are here to make more than just numbers. Churchill Brothers will host the first one in December 2024 before the away trip to Dempo in March next year.
Inter Kashi vs Sreenidi Deccan
Inter Kashi faces a monumental challenge, not just from Gokulam Kerala but also from Sreenidi Deccan, if they want to be favourites for the title. This will be a colossal task as the Deccan Warriors have performed better in recent seasons than the Malabarians. More so, after the first professional club from Uttar Pradesh failed to get any wins from this fixture last season and received a 4-1 thrashing in the first-ever meeting. Despite losing one of their star keepers Albino Gomes and midfield lynchpin Mayakkannan Muthu to ISL sides, Sreenidi remains strong by retaining most of its contingent and adding more foreigners to their extensive list. The battle is expected to be entertaining with the first match lined up for December in Kolkata with the second one falling at Hyderabad in late March in the New Year.
Sreenidi Deccan vs Gokulam Kerala
However, the key fixture to watch in the I-league this season is the league opener between Sreenidi Deccan and Gokulam Kerala on 22 November 2024 and the return leg on March 29, 2025. Both the games can be title deciders as both teams accumulated the highest positions on the table after the top spot and are favorites to secure promotion to ISL finally. The tussle is huge as the Malabarians were top contenders to get into the top flight initially when the promotion began but only managed third-place finishes in the past two seasons. Meanwhile, Sreenidi ended up as runners-up twice by not holding onto their lead in 2023 before stumbling again last season. Hence, both sides have a lot to prove in the new season. There has been a winner in this fixture every time with three victories each since their first meeting in 2022. However, the upcoming games seemed to be the most crucial ones in this fixture’s short history.
