India will witness the inaugural Hero Super Cup begin from March 31 as clubs from the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) and the Hero I-League lock horns at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar from Saturday onwards. A straight knockout between the teams, the competition will see eight clubs each from both leagues go head to head in a battle for supremacy, making it an exciting tournament for fans across the nation. Here, we have a look at what the spectators can expect from the Hero Super Cup in the coming weeks.

New format and rules

After the qualifiers which ended in the third week of March, a total of eight teams each from both leagues will take part in the competition. The pre-quarter finals will see 16 teams battling it out in one-off knock-out matches that promise a lot of fireworks and entertainment for fans. The number of foreign players registered in a club’s squad has also been reduced from eight in the Hero ISL to six in the Hero Super Cup. 

City rivalries

The competition will feature three popular clubs from the ‘City of Joy’ - Kolkata. While Mohun Bagan and Kingfisher East Bengal share a historic rivalry over the decades, the qualification of two-time Hero ISL champions ATK is certain to raise the stakes with bragging rights up for grabs. As fans gear up to flaunt their team colours, it will be interesting to see which of these three sides make the biggest impression in the Hero Super Cup.

State Rivalries

In Hero ISL, Mumbai City FC and FC Pune City represent the state of Maharashtra and in the Hero I- league, Mohun Bagan and Kingfisher East Bengal represent West Bengal. But the Super Cup will also see the passionate fans from the state of Goa and Kerala having two teams to support in the competition. Both Churchill Brothers and FC Goa have their roots in the beautiful state of Goa, while Gokulam Kerala FC and Kerala Blasters FC has all the makings of a fierce local derby. The north-east will also see three of their teams taking part in the competition – Shillong Lajong, Aizawl FC and Neroca.

Second chance for clubs

The Hero Super Cup also offers clubs from both the leagues a second opportunity at getting their hands on some silverware. Clubs like Bengaluru FC, Kerala Blasters, ATK, Aizawl, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have failed to secure any silverware so far. However, the Hero Super Cup offers them an ideal stage to finally get their hands on a trophy if they can brush aside the rest of the competition in what promises to be a fascinating tournament.  

Broadcast over five languages

Football fans from across the length and breadth of the country will get a chance to watch their favourite sides live on television. The Star Network has decided to broadcast the Super Cup in five languages - English, Tamil, Bangla, Kannada and Malayalam. The respective channels are:

English: Star Sports 2 and Star Sports 2 HD

Kannada: Star Suvarna Plus

Tamil: Star Sports 1 Tamil

Bangla: Jalsha Movies

Malayalam: Asianet Movies