Picture Credit: ISL
The 2022-23 season of the Indian Super League (ISL) will have matchdays from Thursday to Sunday and the doubleheaders will be played over the weekend. The tournament is set to kick off on 7 October. There will be a change in the teams who will play in the season opener. While Kerala Blasters and ATK Mohun Bagan used to play in the first match for the last two seasons, the 2022-23 season will kick off with a match between Kerala Blasters and Emami East Bengal.
The full-fledged schedule for the season is yet to be announced. The Durand Cup is currently being played, once it is over, the new season of the ISL will be underway. The previous season was a massive hit as the tournament returned after a hiatus due to COVID-19. Hyderabad FC emerged as the champion, defeating Kerala Blasters in the final clash. Meanwhile, Jamshedpur won the League Winners' Shield.
Semboi Haokip joins East Bengal
As the tournament is all set to welcome its brand-new season, teams are busy roping in new players to strengthen their squad. East Bengal who have not had the best of time in the tournament are working towards building a good squad. In the process, they have made some great signings including Thongkosiem Haokip, commonly known as Semboi.
The centre-forward was a part of the club in the previous season and was touted to join NorthEast United after he parted ways with East Bengal. However, he eventually signed a contract with his previous club. He is expected to strengthen a struggling attack of the Kolkata giants.