The Indian women’s national football team will make history in Kolkata when the Blue Tigresses take on Russia in two international friendlies during the FIFA Women’s International Match Window on October 8 and 11.
The matches at Kishore Bharati Krirangan will mark India’s first-ever international appearances in Kolkata and their first outings since winning the SAFF Women’s Championship for a record-extending sixth time in June.
Ranked 69th in the world, India will face a strong challenge against 27th-ranked Russia as head coach Crispin Chettri looks to give his squad valuable exposure against high-quality European opposition.
The fixtures will also mark India’s return to West Bengal after a decade. Their previous appearance in the state came during the 2016 SAFF Women’s Championship in Siliguri, where India went on to lift the title.
Russia, meanwhile, last visited India in 1994 for the eight-nation Jayalalitha Cup in Chennai. The teams have met twice since then, with both encounters taking place at neutral venues. Russia defeated India 8-0 at the Turkish Women’s Cup in 2021 before securing a 2-0 victory at the Pink Ladies Cup in the UAE in 2025.
Chettri said the upcoming fixtures will provide an important opportunity for the team to measure itself against quality opposition while continuing to develop younger players.
“Playing against quality opposition is always valuable for the development of the team. We have already faced Russia at the Pink Ladies Cup in Dubai, where we lost 2-0, so these matches will give us another opportunity to test ourselves against a strong side.”
The Indian coach also stressed the importance of looking beyond results and using the international window to build a squad capable of competing at a higher level in the future.
“While results are important, we also have to look at these games with a long-term vision. It is important to give opportunities to upcoming players, expose them to high-level opposition and continue developing a squad that can perform at the international level in the future.”
The Blue Tigresses have been training in Kolkata since September 18, while Chettri is expected to finalise and announce the squad closer to the fixtures.
For the players, the matches will also provide an opportunity to experience the atmosphere of a home international in front of a Kolkata crowd.
“Having Kolkata host these matches will also be a huge opportunity for the players,” Chettri said. “They will not only get to play against a quality team like Russia, but, hopefully, in front of a good crowd as well.”
The two matches promise to be an important test for India as they continue preparations for the next phase of their international campaign, while also giving a new generation of players valuable experience on home soil.
