Inter Kashi and Kerala Blasters open ISL 2026-27 campaign in Pune on Sunday
Inter Kashi FC and Kerala Blasters FC will meet at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi, Pune on Sunday for a 5 PM kick-off to open their Indian Super League 2026-27 campaigns, with Inter Kashi entering their first top-flight season and Kerala Blasters starting under new ownership.
Pune is hosting an ISL match for the first time in more than seven years; the city’s last ISL fixture was on 2 March 2019 when FC Pune City beat Mumbai City FC 2–1. Pune previously hosted Pune FC against Blackburn Rovers in 2011, and while a planned 2023 AFC Champions League match featuring Al-Hilal and Neymar Jr. moved to the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, Mumbai City FC did play two home fixtures in Pune against Iran’s Nassaji Mazandaran and Uzbekistan’s Navbahor, the latter on 4 December 2023, meaning elite club football returned to Pune in under three years in some form.
Inter Kashi have designated Balewadi as their home venue and will play the first eight of their 12 first-phase fixtures there consecutively; those eight home games are scheduled to take place across 62 days, with the remaining four home fixtures to be assigned in the second phase whose schedule has not been announced. The club’s choice means fans in Pune will see eight ISL fixtures in a 62-day span.
The Kashi squad was assembled after the club addressed four separate FIFA transfer bans, an issue reported exclusively by Khel Now; once those bans were lifted the club moved to register 16 new signings and six retained players, producing a 22-member Indian squad for the opening game. Registering players was completed ahead of the season, with the coaching staff preparing to field the newly registered group.
Key names in Inter Kashi’s squad include goalkeeper Albino Gomes, 32, signed from Jamshedpur FC; Gomes recently earned his second India cap against Uruguay, won the I-League with Aizawl FC in 2016–17 and was a regular for Jamshedpur. At centre-back, Pratik Chaudhari is a veteran with 148 ISL appearances; at 37 he is the oldest member of the squad and has previously represented Jamshedpur FC, Bengaluru FC, Mumbai City FC and Kerala Blasters FC. Forward Sumeet Passi, 32, is the club’s longest-serving player after joining in September 2023 and was part of Inter Kashi’s 2024–25 I-League-winning campaign that earned promotion to the ISL.
Portuguese coach Carlos Vaz Pinto has been given charge of the squad and faces his first test on Sunday against Kerala Blasters. Kerala begin the season following a takeover by Al Fursan Sports Investment Group while Ashley Westwood remains as head coach; Westwood has won two I-League titles and a Federation Cup with Bengaluru FC, took charge of Kerala late last season and recorded five wins, a draw and one defeat in seven matches, with the Blasters finishing unbeaten in six including four successive victories. Kerala’s squad changes include new arrivals such as Amrinder Singh and Mohammad Yasir.
The fixture on Sunday at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex represents Inter Kashi’s opening ISL match and Carlos Vaz Pinto’s debut test in the top flight, while Ashley Westwood will field a Kerala side under new ownership; kickoff is scheduled for 5 PM.