Group A's table-toppers India and Kuwait lock horns in the last group match of the Bangabandhu SAFF Championship 2023, at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Both teams are level on points (6) and goal difference (+6) and have already qualified for the semi-finals. As such, the winners will determine who tops the group and takes on the second-placed side from Group B in the last four. For India, only a win will earn them pole position since they trail Kuwait on goals scored. Lallianzuala Chhangte, the magical winger, said on Monday that India should face Kuwait with a positive mindset in their last league match

Read Also: 'Like Ronaldo in the world, that's what Chhangte is becoming in India': Igor Stimac

Instructions from Igor Stimac:

"Coach instructed us to, you know, give our best, make the difference even when you come from the substitute bench, I think, we were doing that, after coming onto the pitch, but I think the lads were doing really, really well. Even in the first half, we couldn't play the way we wanted to. We didn't start the way we wanted to, but from the start of the second half, we did really well. And we were more aggressive than in the first half. And, yeah, I think we have helped the team. The most important thing is that even when you play from the substitute you make, you were able to make a difference. That's the most important thing," said Lallianzuala Chhangte when he was asked about what is his role in the team when he comes as a substitute.

Favourite Wingers & Idol of Lallianzuala Chhangte:

He mentioned Ashique Kuruniyan as one of his favourite wingers in the Indian team and also the 24 years old, Mahesh who has been excellent so far. "Well apart from me (laughs), the ones that I've played with like Ashique (Kuruniyan), Liston (Colaco), and Mahesh (Naorem Singh) are very good." When he was asked about who is his idol in Indian football, Chaangte replied, " I used to like Didika Ralte. He is a brilliant footballer, humble guy, can play with both feet, and can score from distance. I like him, I like him a lot."

Mentality:

Chhangte also opened up about the importance of having a positive mindset on the pitch. He said a negative mindset can hamper your performance and therefore it is very important to be positive. "I always try to be positive on the ground. It is very important to be optimistic on the ground because if you have negative thoughts or fear, you cannot play well. So, it is very important that you are optimistic on the ground," he said.

Team Performance & Preparation to Face Kuwait

Igor Stimac has nurtured and improved a lot of players ever since he has come in. The most impressive one has been none other than India's 'Golden Boy' Lallianzuala Chhangte. "We have been gelling up very well both on and off the pitch. The most important thing is that we have been able to apply on the pitch what we practice in training. That's really important," he said.

The Blue Tigers will face Kuwait in their final group-stage clash of the 2023 SAFF Championship. Chhangte said that the team is aware of how good Kuwait are as a team but they'll approach the game with the same, winning mentality.

"We are going up against a very good side and we are very well aware of that. We approach every game with the same mentality, that is to win. Even if they are highly-ranked or lower-ranked than us, we approach the game with the game mentality," he said.

The Indian national football team will take the field against Maldives in a FIFA International Friendly match on 19 March 2025, scheduled to take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong.

Before the Asian Cup 2027 Qualifying campaigns begin next week, India and the Maldives will face each other to prepare for their respective matches in the third qualifying round.

The teams will meet for the first time after October 2021, when India defeated Maldives 3-1 in the 2021 SAFF Championship group stage. Currently, India is ranked 126th in the FIFA International Men's Ranking, whereas Maldives is positioned 162nd.

Last time out against Maldives 🔙🇲🇻
🏆 SAFF Championship 2021

⚽️⚽️ @chetrisunil11
⚽️ @manvir_singh07

5️⃣ days to go for #INDMDV 🇮🇳🆚🇲🇻 in Shillong!
🎫 Tickets coming soon on https://t.co/m3nmyLyj2h 🔜#BlueTigers #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/xCcjcEgCHP

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) March 14, 2025

From possible starting XIs to team news and head-to-head stats, here is everything you need to know about India vs Maldives FIFA International Friendly match in the March 2025 FIFA int'l window.

Match Details

Match: India vs Maldives

Date: 19 March 2025

Time: 7:00 PM IST

Venue: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, (Polo Ground), Shillong

Broadcasting and Streaming Details  

Indian football fans can watch the India vs Maldives friendly match streamed live on Star Sports Network. The match will also be streamed live on the JioHotstar App and the JioHotstar website.  

Head-to-head stats

Matches played: 21

India Wins: 15

Malaysia wins: 4

Draws: 2

Team News

India

It has been almost 18 months since India last experienced a victory in an international fixture, which came against Kuwait, beating them 1-0 away from home in the second round of World Cup Qualifiers.

India is yet to win a match under Igor Stimac's successor Manolo Marquez since his appointment in July 2024. India suffered a goalless draw against Mauritius in the Intercontinental Cup 2024, which was also the Spaniard's debut game in charge; and the Blue Tigers lost their second match by 0-3 against Syria.

During the international break in October, India was held to a 1-1 against Vietnam in a friendly, and again, shared the spoils against Malaysia in a 1-1 stalemate in November 2024.

Matchday minus 2️⃣🐯🇮🇳#BlueTigers #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/tD2Kcnz2Xe

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) March 17, 2025

However, the Indian team will commence their journey in the Qualifiers to reach the third consecutive Asian Cup next week as they will face Bangladesh on March 25. Manolo will also leave his position at FC Goa at the end of the season to focus solely on the national side.

Manolo Márquez names the India squad for March FIFA Window 🇮🇳

🗣️ Márquez: "The qualification for the Asian Cup is very crucial for us. Given the importance of the tournament and the matches ahead, I discussed with Sunil Chhetri about making a comeback to strengthen the National… pic.twitter.com/TlwShiL7hb

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) March 6, 2025

Indian legend Sunil Chhetri has come out of retirement to play for India again, but star forward Lallianzuala Chhagte has been sidelined due to an injury. Defender Asish Rai has been ruled out as well and will be replaced by Tekcham Abhishek Singh, who got his maiden national call-up.

Last 5 matches: L D L D D

Maldives

Maldives has only played two friendlies in the last 18 months, both against Bangladesh in November 2024. The Red Snappers won the first one 1-0 but faced a 1-2 defeat in the following match.

However, after the controversial departure of former head coach Francesco Moriero in 2023, Ali Suzain was appointed as the new head coach, which marks his second spell at the helm. 

Suzain has picked up a relatively younger squad for the clash against India, which will help them to analyze the team better before they start their Asian Cup qualifying campaign in the next week as well. Maldives will face Philippines on 25 March to begin their quest to reach Asian Cup 2027.

Maldives has no current news of any concerning injury, as they will have their full squad fit and available for the encounter against India.

Last 5 matches: L D L W L

Predicted Line-ups

India

Vishal Kaith (GK); Naorem Roshan Singh, Sandesh Jhingan, Rahul Bheke, Subhasish Bose; Suresh Singh Wangjam, Apuia; Brandon Fernandes, Irfan Yadwad; Sunil Chhetri

Maldives

Hussain Shareef (GK); Hussain Sifaau, Samooh Ali, Mohamed Irufaan, Hassan Shifaz; Irfan, Ibrahim Mahudhee, Hussain Nihan, Ahmed Aiham, Mohamed Naim; Hassan Naiz, Ali Fasir

Following a tight contention in the league stage to seal passage into the Indian Super League 2024-25 knockout phase, six teams have secured their appearance for the playoffs.

The league stage of 2024-25 ended with a dead-rubber game on Wednesday as Kerala Blasters and Hyderabad FC shared the spoils in a 1-1 stalemate.

Mumbai City FC triumphed 2-0 over Bengaluru on Tuesday in their final league stage encounter this season, becoming the sixth team to book their tickets to the playoffs.

AND THEN THERE WERE 6️⃣! ✅#TheIslanders complete the #ISLPlayoffs puzzle, securing back-to-back qualification under #PetrKratky! 💪🔥#BFCMCFC #ISL #LetsFootball #MumbaiCityFC | @JioHotstar @StarSportsIndia pic.twitter.com/61ZIAxs4J5

— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) March 11, 2025

This article offers you everything you need to know about the ISL 2024-25 Playoffs Fixtures and Format.

ISL 2024-25 Playoffs: Teams qualified

Mohun Bagan Super Giant became the first team to qualify for the ISL 2024-25 playoffs after achieving a 1-0 victory against Odisha FC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium in Kolkata last month.

The Mariners successfully defended their ISL League Shield as well, becoming the first-ever team in ISL history to achieve this feat, having earned a record 56 points in 24 matches.

Read Also | ISL Stats: 6 records Mohun Bagan broke in ISL 2024-25 so far

FC Goa were the second team to qualify for the playoffs, securing their spot after a 2-0 win against Kerala Blasters last month. The Gaurs guaranteed the second place in the standings with 48 points in 24 games, ensuring their direct entry to the semi-finals.

Bengaluru FC were the third team to reach the playoffs, following a 1-0 victory over Chennaiyin FC in February. The Blues finished the regular season in third place, having gathered 38 points in 24 matches.

Jamshedpur FC and NorthEast United FC also booked their places in the playoffs. NorthEast United FC secured the fourth spot with 38 points in 24 games, whereas Jamshedpur FC finished in fifth place with the same points, but fell short in the goal difference.

The sixth and final playoff spot was clinched by Mumbai City FC, with 36 points in 24 games following a 2-0 victory against Bengaluru FC in the final match of the regular season.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐩! 🎬

The #ISL 2024-25 League Stage comes to close as #Mariners takes the top spot! 🔥#LetsFootball | @JioHotstar @StarSportsIndia @eastbengal_fc @HydFCOfficial @MohammedanSC pic.twitter.com/4hFiQt7ZOS

— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) March 12, 2025

Bengaluru FC, NorthEast United FC and Jamshedpur FC all finished with 38 points after 24 games. For teams that have the same number of points, their head-to-head record is considered first. If their head-to-head results are tied at 1-1 or if they have drawn, then goal difference is taken into account. 

According to this rule, Bengaluru FC had a win and a draw against Northeast United FC, which is why they are ranked above. Jamshedpur FC also has the points as Bengaluru and NorthEast, but their head-to-head record is lower, which is why they are placed below the other two.

ISL Playoffs Format

The top six teams from the league stage qualify for the playoffs, with the top two teams ensuring a direct place in the two-legged semi-finals. 

Additionally, the team that finishes at the top of the table after the league stage wins the League Shield and secures a place in the group phase of the AFC Champions League Two. 

The four teams that finish in the third to sixth positions will compete for a spot in the semi-finals through a playoff round. Notably, the playoffs are decided in a single-legged knockout game which is played in the home ground of the team that finished higher on the leaderboard.

To award some deserving advantage to the third and fourth placed teams in the league stage, the third-placed team takes on the sixth-placed side, whereas the fourth-placed and fifth-placed team meet in the other playoff.

The winners of the play-offs will advance to the semi-finals and will compete against the first two teams for a place in the ISL 2024-25 Final.

ISL 2024-25 Playoffs Fixtures

Pending an official confirmation, ISL 2024-25 playoffs are likely to be played on March 29 and 30, whereas the semifinals are scheduled for the first week of April.

According to reports, the first legs of the semi-finals are supposed to be played on April 2 and 3; and the return legs will take place on April 6 and 7, respectively.

However, here are the confirmed match-ups in the ISL 2024-25 Playoffs.

*pending further confirmation

We have all heard multiple times that T20 cricket is a batter’s game. However, one thing is to be noted that it is a bowler who turns the game for his team most times. The teams across the world have understood the fact that they need a good set of bowlers to win a tournament. This is true in the biggest T20 tournament IPL as well.

Over the years, it has been seen that teams who possess quality bowlers perform quite well, while those who struggle in this department generally lag behind.

So, let's take a look at the bowlers with the most wickets in IPL history.

Also Read: IPL 2025: Squads of every IPL team after the auction

Top 10 bowlers with most wickets in IPL history:

10. Ravindra Jadeja | 160* Wickets

Ravindra Jadeja is easily the most well-rounded cricketer India has ever produced. A major portion of his success needs to be credited to the IPL, as the Saurashtra superstar built his international career by learning in the IPL under cricketing greats like Shane Warne, MS Dhoni, Stephen Fleming, and others. 

Apart from missing the 2010 season, Ravindra Jadeja has played all the other seasons with him representing Chennai Super Kings (CSK) since 2012. He has played 240 games taking 160 wickets with the ball with an average of 30.40 and an economy rate of 7.62.

His generational fielding skills have also shined, as the 36-year-old has taken 103 catches in the competition, making him ‘The Ultimate All-rounder’ as he is the only player to have 1000+ runs, 100+ wickets, and 100+ catches, fulfilling his 3-dimensional abilities to the fullest. 

9. Jasprit Bumrah | 165* Wickets

Jasprit Bumrah, the game-changer of the game has put his name at no. 9 on this list of bowlers who scalped the most wickets in IPL history. Bumrah has been playing for Mumbai Indians since the 2013 season, in which the franchise bought him at a cheap price.

Bumrah has scalped 165 wickets in 133 games with an average of 22.51. Meanwhile, Bumrah has bowled at an economy rate of 7.30 in the franchise cricket league. This year he will be playing for MI again as the franchise retained him before the mega auction.

8. Lasith Malinga | 170 Wickets

Lasith Malinga, who is undoubtedly the greatest pacer in the IPL history has taken 170 wickets in 122 games he has played. Malinga averages 19.79 with the bowl and maintained an economy rate of 7.14 in the cash-rich league. 

Though 108 of these wickets have come in death overs where batters try to score at a faster pace and often get out in the process, still his overall numbers are too good to be questioned.

Malinga started playing for Mumbai Indians in the 2009 season, and last appeared in the 2019 season. His final over in the 2019 final was enough to prove his greatness even at that stage of his career.

7. Amit Mishra | 174 Wickets

The next bowler on the list is Indian leggie Amit Mishra who has picked 174 wickets in 162 games. The seventh-highest wicket-taker in the history of IPL, Mishra, went unsold in the mega auction of IPL 2025. 

He has recorded an impressive economy of 7.37 in the league and has been crucial in taking wickets in middle overs. However, previously he has played for Lucknow Super Giants.

6. Ravichandran Ashwin | 180* Wickets

Ravichandran Ashwin is always known as a great bowler in Test cricket but he has also proved his ability in the shortest format of the game. Meanwhile, Ash comes at number six on this list of bowlers with the most wickets in IPL history. 

Ashwin also has picked 180 wickets in 212 matches with an average of 29.82. He has also maintained an economy rate of 7.12. 

Ashwin went on to play for Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals, and returns to the CSK fold after having featured for Rajasthan Royals for the last three seasons.

The Indian off-spinner was bought by Chennai Super Kings for Rs. 9.75 crore at the IPL 2025 auction. Ashwin had burst onto the scene in 2009 with CSK under the captaincy of MS Dhoni. He represented Super Kings till 2015 and was part of two title-winning campaigns, in 2010 and 2011. 

5. Sunil Narine | 180* Wickets

The next bowler on this is none other than the West Indies magician Sunil Narine. Narine has taken 180 wickets in 176 games with an average of 25.39 and bowls with an economy rate of 6.73. 

He has been a crucial member of the Kolkata-based franchise KKR, as the franchise won the league back in 2012, 2014, and 2024.

Narine has also played as an opener under Gambhir's captaincy. However, currently, he is with the KKR franchise as they retain the off-spinner before the IPL 2025 mega auction.

4. Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 181* Wickets

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, with 181 wickets is the fourth name in this list of players with the most wickets in IPL. Bhuvi has played in 176 matches in which he took those 181 wickets at an average of 27.23. However, he has bowled with an economy rate of 7.56 in the league. 

Meanwhile, Bhuvi will play for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru franchise as they bought him in the IPL 2025 mega auction at a whopping 10.75 crore price.

3. Dwayne Bravo | 183 Wickets 

Dwayne Bravo with 183 wickets is the third name on the list. He is the second pacer after Lasith Malinga on the list to take the most wickets in IPL. 

Bravo had been a vital cog in Chennai’s bowling lineup, particularly in the death overs. With MS Dhoni being captain, Bravo’s potential has been used very cleverly for the team’s benefit. 

The all-rounder has played 161 IPL games and averages 23.82 with the ball. 

He played his last IPL match in the 2022 season for Chennai.

2. Piyush Chawla | 192 Wickets

Piyush Chawla, who was bought by Mumbai Indians for IPL 2021 in the mini-auction is the second-highest wicket-taker in the league history. He has picked 192 wickets in 192 matches with an average of 26.60 and an economy being 7.96. 

Piyush Chawla has earlier featured for Chennai, Punjab, and Kolkata-based franchises in the cash-rich league.

Over the last two years, Chawla was the lead spinner for Mumbai Indians. But, no teams went for him in IPL 2025 auction.

1. Yuzvendra Chahal | 205* Wickets

Yuzvendra Chahal has taken the most wickets in IPL history. Chahal has played in 160 games in which he has scalped 205 wickets with an average of 22.44. Moreover, he has an economy of 7.84 in the league.

Previously Chahal has played for RCB till 2021 and this season he will be featuring the Rajasthan Royals as they bought him in the IPL mega auction.

Chahal was with Rajasthan Royals since the 2022 season, claiming 66 wickets in 46 games. He has also represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians earlier in the IPL. He is among the 19 bowlers to have claimed a hat-trick in the IPL.

The leg-break bowler also won the Purple Cap for being the leading wicket-taker during the 2022 season, with 27 wickets to his name in 17 games at an average of 19.51 and an economy of 7.75.

Hello and welcome to another live coverage of Indian football as we continue bringing you all the live updates of the Indian Super League 2024-25. Tonight, we will bring you all the live updates, news, and live scores of the most crucial encounter of the last match-week between Bengaluru FC and Mumbai City FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.

Bengaluru FC have already qualified for the play-offs, currently positioned fourth with 38 points in 23 matches. On the other hand, Mumbai City FC need to earn a point tonight to secure their qualification, as they are in the seventh position, having accumulated 33 points in 23 matches.

Tonight, both teams will take the field for their last league stage outing for the 2024-25 season. So, sit back and enjoy the match as Sportz Point provides you with all the real-time updates, team news, live scores, and match commentary tonight.

This is Soumit Bhattacharya, who will bring you all the updates of the match from the web desk.

Moreover, you can follow us on Twitter for all the updates. Join our Telegram and WhatsApp channels to get all the news and scores

Hello and welcome to another live coverage of Indian football as we continue bringing you all the live updates of the Indian Super League 2024-25. This evening, we will bring you all the live updates, news, and live scores of the thrilling encounter between NorthEast United FC and East Bengal FC at the  Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong.

NorthEast United are currently positioned fifth on the leaderboard with 35 points in 23 games. On the total contrary, East Bengal are positioned eighth, having earned 28 points in 23 matches.

This evening, both teams will take the field for the last league stage game of the 2024-25 season. However, the Highlanders will look to progress on the league table, whereas the Red and Gold Brigade have nothing to lose, as they are already out of the qualification race.

 So, sit back and enjoy the match as Sportz Point provides you with all the real-time updates, team news, live scores, and match commentary tonight.

This is Soumit Bhattacharya, who will bring you all the updates of the match from the web desk.

Moreover, you can follow us on Twitter for all the updates. Join our Telegram and WhatsApp channels to get all the news and scores.