I-League is set to kick-off from January 9, 2021, as 11 teams fight it out to be crowned champions in what promises to be a unique and special edition of the competition.

Similar to the Qualifiers, the upcoming campaign will be played across 4 stadiums in Kolkata and Kalyani, under the bio-secure bubble for the teams and organizers owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the length of the competition and number of teams increasing significantly as compared to the qualifiers, AIFF Leagues CEO Mr. Sunando Dhar stressed on the importance of “teamwork and cooperation” in making the organization of the I-League a success.

The 11 teams have been divided across two 5-star hotels in Kolkata -- with RoundGlass Punjab FC, Indian Arrows, Chennai City FC, TRAU FC and Churchill Brothers FC in one hotel, while Real Kashmir FC, Mohammedan SC, Gokulam Kerala FC, Aizawl FC, Sudeva Delhi FC and Neroca FC are housed in the second.

The teams began checking-in to their respective hotels and entering the bio-secure bubble from December 26 onwards, after which they immediately began their period of seven days of mandatory quarantine.

Prior to their check-in, each member in every team has to have three successive negative COVID-19 RT-PCR tests, the samples of which have to be taken ten, six and two days prior to them entering the bubble. After checking in, the teams will be tested on the second and fifth day after them entering the bubble, followed by regular tests every 5-6 days and regular monitoring of body vitals.

Each team has been allocated a total of 20 rooms in the hotel, with the addition of a separate medical/physio room for every side. For their quarantine, a comprehensive list of dos-and-don'ts has been given to each team as well.

I-League kicks-off on January 9, 2021 with a mouth-watering triple-header as debutants Sudeva Delhi FC take on newly-promoted Mohammedan SC at the iconic Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on the day. In the other two matches, RoundGlass Punjab FC face Aizawl FC and Gokulam Kerala FC going up against Chennai City FC at the Kalyani Municipal Stadium.