Midway through the Indian Women’s League: The leaders, chasers and emerging stories

The midpoint of the 2025-26 Indian Women’s League does more than just define a title race – it reveals the position of women’s football in the administrative hierarchy. Despite the Indian Super League not yet starting and the I-League being stalled, the IWL has gone ahead, without a commercial partner or a broadcast deal; thus, it has been functioning with very little visibility and no external support.

The league is running essentially because of the determination of the clubs and players, not because of the ecosystem supporting them. The difference is quite glaring and indefensible – women’s football is still being required to adapt in the absence of meaningful backing, which is a manifestation of the low priority given to it by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The message is loud and clear – whenever resources are limited, or schedules get delayed, it is the women’s game that is expected to adjust and adapt rather than be supported.

East Bengal FC in a league of their own

The Moshal Girls have started the 2025-26 season in great fashion by winning games one after another. Their supremacy was first demonstrated after a 9-0 slaughter of SESA FA, then wins over Nita FA and Kickstart FC by identical 5-0 scorelines; the results have quickly created a huge gap between the Red and Gold brigade and the rest of their competitors.

East Bengal’s main strength has been their reliability in both offence and defence. Their pace and counterattack have been quick too, which makes them stand out performers at the halfway point of the Indian Women’s League (IWL).

Sethu FC stay in the hunt

*Sethu FC players in action in the IWL [AIFF]*

Only two points behind the leaders, Sethu FC are still very much a part of the title race. Practically, Sethu, in addition to experience, have been a very efficient team. In the 7 games they have played, they have won 5. They only have 2 points less than East Bengal and have stayed at the 2nd spot without dropping very often.

Nita FA and the value of balance

*Nita FA players celebrating their 3-2 win over Sribhumi FA [AIFF]*

Despite sitting outside the top two, Nita FA have quietly positioned themselves as a side that cannot be taken lightly. A large part of that threat comes from Pyari Xaxa, who is the highest goal scorer of the tournament so far with 10 goals. Her output has ensured that Nita FA remain competitive even in tight games, offering them a cutting edge that few teams in the league can match.

While consistency has occasionally eluded them, the ability to score goals and score them quickly makes Nita FA a genuine challenge for any opponent. With a proven match-winner in good form, they remain well within the reach of influencing the title race in the second half of the season.

Mid-table congestion and missed opportunities

*Sribhumi FC are currently ranked 4th in the table [AIFF]*

Sribhumi FC are just below the top three, among a densely packed group of teams. Against most competitive teams, their performances have been good, but the dropped points have meant that it is almost impossible to make any mistakes now that the season is at its halfway point.

Lower down, Garhwal United FC and Gokulam Kerala FC are joint on points. The campaign has been quite inconsistent for Gokulam, especially with the draws and narrow defeats, which have affected the performance of what has traditionally been one of the most reliable teams in the league.

Bottom-end struggles

*SESA (pink) and Kickstart FC (green) bring up the rear end of the IWL table [AIFF]*

At the bottom of the table, Kickstart FC and SESA FA had their fair share of problems in the initial part of the season. Lack of concentration at the back and inconsistency resulted in both teams needing to make up for lost time in the second half of the season. For such teams, maintaining their status and being competitive have been their main goals.

Final thoughts

As the league progresses into its second half, the title race seems to be more clearly defined, yet the season is not over. East Bengal have the edge in the title race, Sethu FC are close enough to go for the kill, and the chasing pack still has enough quality to be able to impact the team at both ends of the table.

The 2025-26 IWL has witnessed real advancement in competitiveness and organisation. But whether this improvement is accompanied by serious institutional support is still a riddle, and a question that keeps influencing the league at least as much as any match result.

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