2022–23 I-League


The 2022–23 I-League was the 16th season of I-League, first as the second tier of Indian football league system. It was played from 12 November 2022 to 12 March 2023.
After a 4–0 win against Rajasthan United on 4 March 2023, RoundGlass Punjab clinched their second league title and became the first ever club to be promoted to the Indian Super League while Kenkre and Sudeva Delhi were relegated to I-League 2.

Changes from last season

Disbanded clubs

Reinstated clubs

  • Kenkre: After being relegated at the end of the 2021–22 I-League season, Kenkre was allowed to participate this season. The closure of the Indian Arrows project played a major part in their reinstatement. The conditions for their reinstatement were an agreement to take in several Arrows players and no travel subsidy for away matches.

Changes in format

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament's format was shortened for the last two seasons. From this season, the traditional home and away games format in a double round-robin have returned. Each team will play two matches against every other team at home and away.
The table topper will be declared the league's winner at the end of the season, thereby achieving promotion to 2023–24 Indian Super League, while the two teams with the lowest points will be relegated to 2023–24 I-League 2, and will get a bye to the final round.

Teams

12 teams participated in the 2022–23 season:

Stadiums and locations

Due to a lack of AFC standard football stadiums available in Rajasthan, Rajasthan United will play their home matches at Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi. RoundGlass Punjab will play their home matches at Panchkula's Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Haryana. On 22 October 2022, AIFF chief Kalyan Chaubey inaugurated the new home ground of Sreenidi Deccan, the Deccan Arena.
TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
AizawlAizawl, MizoramRajiv Gandhi Stadium20,000
Churchill BrothersPanaji, GoaGMC Athletic Stadium3,000
Churchill BrothersVasco, GoaTilak Maidan5,000
Gokulam KeralaCalicut, KeralaEMS Stadium50,000
Gokulam KeralaManjeri, KeralaPayyanad Stadium30,000
KenkreMumbai, MaharashtraCooperage Ground5,000
MohammedanKolkata, West BengalKishore Bharati Krirangan12,000
NEROCAImphal, ManipurKhuman Lampak Main Stadium35,000
RoundGlass PunjabMohali, ChandigarhTau Devi Lal Stadium12,000
Rajasthan UnitedJaipur, RajasthanAmbedkar Stadium 35,000
Real KashmirSrinagar, Jammu and KashmirTRC Turf Ground11,000
Sreenidi DeccanHyderabad, TelanganaDeccan Arena1,500
Sudeva DelhiNew Delhi, DelhiChhatrasal Stadium16,000
TRAUImphal, ManipurKhuman Lampak Main Stadium35,000

Personnel and sponsorship

TeamHead coachCaptainKit manufacturerShirt sponsor
Aizawl

Foreign players

AIFF allowed a maximum of six foreign players, including one from an AFC-affiliated country per team, but only four can be part of the matchday squad.
ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Player 4Player 5AFC playerFormer player
Aizawl

League table


Season statistics

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1

Top Indian scorers

The table includes only the list of top Indian goalscorers with more than 3 goals in this season.
RankPlayerClubGoals
1Seilenthang LotjemSudeva Delhi6
1Samuel KynshiReal Kashmir6
3Salam Johnson SinghTRAU5
4Aman GaikwadKenkre4
4Anil GaonkarChurchill Brothers4
4TharpuiaAizawl4

Top assists

RankPlayerClubAssists
1

Clean sheets

RankPlayerClubClean sheetsMatches played
1

Discipline

Player

  • Most yellow cards: 9
  • * Melroy Assisi
  • * Mirjalol Kasimov
  • Most red cards: 1
  • *''27 players''

Club

  • Most yellow cards: 47
  • *Real Kashmir
  • Most red cards: 5
  • *Churchill Brothers

Attendances

Attendances by home match played

Legend:


Source:

Broadcasting

The 2022–23 I-League season aired on India's DD Sports and Eurosport HD television channels. It was also available on the Discovery+ mobile app. However, after the start of the league, the broadcast was fraught with problems.