Odisha FC force defending champions Gokulam Kerala to take a backseat

NEW DELHI: The biggest talking point from the opening three rounds of the Indian Women's League (IWL) 2023-24 was that Gokulam Kerala FC are yet to get the form that helped them to win the last three successive titles.

Emerging as the new frontrunners are Kickstart FC and Odisha FC with a hundred per cent record so far. The Kalinga Warriors' stellar 2-0 victory over the Malabarians last week was perhaps the most eye-catching result in the recent seasons of the IWL. The Kerala-based club faced a blow after losing for the first time in 29 matches over four years.

For the Warriors, the win was about more than just three points. There was a sense of redemption after that heart-breaking shoot-out loss to the Malabarians in last season's quarter-finals. Odisha FC goalkeeper Shreya Hooda stood out in Bhubaneswar, as each of her saves added up to a well-deserved clean sheet.

Pyari Xaxa and Lynda Kom Serto did their job up front with two crucial goals. Everything eased up some pain from May's defeat in Ahmedabad. But head coach Crispin Chettri and co. will know there's a long way to go if they are to grab their first IWL crown.

On the other hand, there are a lot of questions that Gokulam gaffer Anthony Andrews needs to answer. The brief winter break may have come at a good time for his side. A team that pumped in 64 goals last season, has scored only one in three games in this campaign. They will have to make that right as they take on Sports Odisha and Kickstart in their next two games on home turf.

Kickstart FC are enjoying their solid run at the Bangalore Football Stadium. Odisha FC's first-ever home game at the Kalinga Stadium was a memorable one, to say the least. East Bengal may have lost 2-4 to Sethu, but the atmosphere created by their ardent fans at the East Bengal Ground scripted a new chapter in Indian women's football. Never before had the IWL been witness to such animated support.

On the pitch, the one who's stealing the limelight is Kickstart's Karishma Shirvoikar. The youngster has been simply unstoppable, netting six out of her side's eight goals so far, giving herself an early shout of becoming the first Indian to win the IWL Golden Boot since Ngangom Bala Devi in 2018-19. Odisha FC haven't been dependent on one player so far.

Their six goals have been scored by five different players, with only Myanmar's Win Theingi Tun netting more than once. India's youth internationals Nongmeikapam Sibani Devi and Sulanjana Raul have been turning on the heat for East Bengal, scoring two goals each.

Hops FC are yet to find the back of the net in their first two games at the Ambedkar Stadium, losing to Kickstart and Gokulam Kerala. Sports Odisha are the other side who are yet to win a game in the league, but things won't get any easier for them as they travel to Kozhikode in their first game of the New Year.