India v Russia: First of two women's friendlies in Kolkata on 8 October 2026
India's women's national team will host Russia in the first of two international friendly matches on Thursday, 8 October 2026 at the Kishore Bharati Krinangan in Kolkata as coach Crispin Chhetri's side seeks to build on recent domestic success.
India began 2026 with a campaign at the AFC Women's Asian Cup, where they lost all three group matches, and subsequently fell to Kenya in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA Women's Series; the Blue Tigresses then won every match they played thereafter, including all games at the SAFF Women's Championship earlier this year.
Russia come into the meeting having played four competitive matches in 2026 and won three of them, including consecutive victories over China in June 2026, and have brought what the report describes as a relatively strong squad for the friendlies against India.
India will be without Aveka Singh and Manisha Kalyan for these fixtures because their clubs have not released them; the named India XI in the preview is Monalisha Devi (GK), Juli Kishan, Ranjana Chanu, Purnima Kumari, Shubhangi Singh, Priyadharshini Selldurai, Sangita Basfore, Sanifda Nongrum, Lynda Kom, Malavika Prasad and Sibani Devi.
Forward Lynda Kom is highlighted as a player with an opportunity to impress with several regular attacking options not selected: Kom is 21 years old and has seven goals in 17 appearances for India, and the preview notes she can strengthen her place by performing against the European visitors.
Logistical details in the preview state the match is scheduled to kick off at 7:00 PM IST and that there is no telecast information available; the preview also notes this fixture will be the first-ever international women's match played at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan.
India and Russia enter the friendly with the head-to-head indicated in the preview as "India Women wins – 0 Russia Women wins – 2," and the Kolkata meeting on Thursday, 8 October 2026 will be followed by a second friendly between the sides.