Indian Women set for historic Kolkata debut as Russia arrive for two October friendlies
Kolkata, September 27: As the men’s FIFA friendlies are ongoing, the women’s team are ready to take the field too. The Blue Tigresses are set for their first-ever international matches in Kolkata, with Russia waiting for them at the city’s very own Kishore Bharati Krirangan on October 8 and 11.
It will be a different kind of international night at the same venue, with the Indian women’s national team returning to West Bengal after a long gap. Their last appearance in the state came back in the 2016 SAFF Women’s Championship in Siliguri, where India went on to lift the title. Ten years later, the Blue Tigresses will finally have their first international outing in Kolkata.
The timing also makes these two matches important. These will be India’s first international games since they were crowned SAFF Women’s Championship champions for a record sixth time in June. And instead of an easy return, they have a strong European opponent in front of them.
Russia are ranked 27th in the world, while India are currently 69th. The two sides have already met twice, with both encounters coming at neutral venues. India suffered an 0–8 defeat against Russia at the 2021 Turkish Women’s Cup before losing 0–2 at the 2025 Pink Ladies Cup in the UAE.
So, the two matches in Kolkata will give India another chance to measure themselves against a side they already know well.
For head coach Crispin Chettri, though, these games are not only about the result. The Russia fixtures are also an opportunity to test the squad, give chances to upcoming players and expose them to a higher level of opposition. The bigger idea is to build a team that can compete at the international level in the future.
The Blue Tigresses have already been training in Kolkata since September 18, with Chettri set to finalise the squad closer to the matches.
And then comes the Kolkata factor.
Playing Russia is one part of the challenge. Playing in front of a home crowd at Kishore Bharati Krirangan will be another experience for the players. The atmosphere, expectations and pressure of having fans around them are all part of what Crispin Chettri sees as important for their development.
The Russian women’s team also have an old connection with India, having last travelled here in 1994 for the eight-nation Jayalalitha Cup in Chennai. More than three decades later, they are back in India, this time with Kolkata waiting.
The men may have already started their international run and started giving us moments. Nevertheless, the Blue Tigresses are ready to have their own moment.
Kishore Bharati will see the Blue Tigresses in international action for the first time. And waiting on the other side will be Russia, twice in October, in just two days of gap.
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