 | |
| Organising body | AIFF |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2008; 17 years ago (2008)(asI-League 2nd Division succeedingNFL 2nd Division) |
| Country | India |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of clubs | 14 |
| Level on pyramid | 3 |
| Promotion to | I-League |
| Relegation to | I-League 3 |
| League cup | Durand Cup[a] |
| Current champions | Diamond Harbour (1st title) |
| Most championships | ONGC (2 titles) |
| Broadcaster(s) | SSEN |
| Website | i-league |
| Current:2025–26 I-League 2 | |
TheI-League 2 is an Indian men's professionalfootball league.[1] It is the 3rd tier of theIndian football league system, behind theIndian Super League and theI-League.[2][3][4] It operates as a system ofpromotion and relegation with theI-League and theI-League 3.
I-League 2nd Division was introduced during the 2008 season, with first game played on 25 March betweenMohammedan Sporting andAmity United.[5]
That season saw Mohammedan Sporting,Mumbai FC,Vasco SC andChirag United promoted to the I-League. The next season sawPune FC,Shillong Lajong,Viva Kerala andSalgaocar getting promoted.
Since 2010, only top 2 teams were promoted to the I-League.ONGC FC andHAL SC in that year, in 2011 Shillong Lajong andSporting Clube de Goa, with Lajong being promoted for the second time. In 2012, ONGC andUnited Sikkim were promoted for the upcoming season. The 2013 sawRangdajied United FC and Mohammedan qualifying for the I-League.
In 2014, only one team got promoted from the 2nd Division, and similarly only one team got relegated from 2013–14 season.
In 2016, again only one team was promoted from the 2nd division (Aizawl F.C.), and only one was relegated from the I-League (Dempo).
Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the traditional final round format was scrapped in 2020. It was decided that the league will be rescheduled into a new format and all non-reserve teams from the preliminary stage will automatically progress to this round. It was officially named as I-League Qualifiers.[6]After making of I-League as second division of Indian football, the AIFF decided to rename 2nd Division to I-league 2.[7]
Previously, the league was formatted as a neutral venue competition with teams split into groups in which all the groups play in one stadium each. The final round is contested in adouble round-robin format, after which the top two teams get promoted to the I-League.
The I-League core committee approved the plans for the 2015–2016 I-League 2nd division matches to be played on a home and away basis. The preliminary rounds will be played as theconference system with the teams being divided into Eastern and Western conferences. Top 3 teams from each conference will qualify for the final round of the 2015–2016 season of 2nd division I-League.[8]
To widen the football map of the country and to bolster the football structure, I-League committee decide to launch the 2nd division qualifier for 2016–2017 season. Participants from all the state associations would be invited to take part in 2nd division 2016–17 qualifiers. The state associations need to nominate two teams with best results, apart from the teams who would compete in Hero I-League and 2nd division league, from the state leagues to compete in the 2nd division qualifiers. The teams will fight it out amongst themselves in the zonal round followed by the final round. Eventually top two teams from the final round will get a nod to the 2nd division, provided that they fulfill the club licensing requirements in the due time.[9]
The format was further altered from 2017–2018 season, the league was divided in two stages: the Preliminary and the Final. The tournament will also feature reserve teams of Indian Super League clubs. In the preliminary stage, 18 teams are divided into three groups where all matches would be played on a home and away basis. The winners of each group plus the best second-placed team would qualify for the final round. However, if reserve teams of ISL clubs finishes as winners or runners-up in any group, the position is passed on onto the next non-ISL team. The final round will be played at a central venue, the winners of which would be promoted to the next tier of Indian Football.[10]
Sixteen teams were allowed to participate in this season by the league committee.[11]
A new format was introduced named asI-league qualifiers. 10 teams promoted from state leagues battled for I-league qualification.
In a meeting held on 16 December 2022, the AIFF league committee has recommended that states that have conducted their regional leagues in previous season nominate clubs for the Hero I-League 2, with six reserve teams of the Hero ISL also joining them. A pre-tournament qualifier was held for the teams from states that have not conducted their leagues in 2021–22, from which the top two teams gained entry into the Hero I-League 2, bringing the total number of clubs to 20.
These 20 teams are divided into the four groups of five and play each other in a round-robin home and away format. The group winners, along with the best second-placed team, play in the final round, a single-leg round robin format competition.[12]
| Currently in theI-League 2 | |
| Currently in theIndian Super League or theI-League | |
| Currently in theI-League 3 or theState leagues | |
| Reserve sides (Indian Super League) | |
| Defunct clubs |
As of 2025[update]
| Season | Clubs |
|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Sporting Goa,Dempo,Sporting Bengaluru |
| 2024–25 | Diamond Harbour,Chanmari,SAT,KLASA |
| 2025–26 | Karbi Anglong Morning Star,MYJ–GMSC |
| Season | Clubs |
|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Kenkre,Maharashtra Oranje |
| 2024–25 | KLASA,TRAU |
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Titles | Runners-up | Third place | Winning seasons | Runners-up seasons | Third place seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ONGC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2010, 2012 | ||
| Mohammedan | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2020 | 2008, 2013 | 2012 |
| Shillong Lajong | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2011 | 2022–23 | 2009 |
| Dempo | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2015–16 | 2023-24 | |
| NEROCA | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2016–17 | 2015–16 | |
| Delhi | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2022–23 | 2021 | |
| Mumbai | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2008 | ||
| Salgaocar | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2009 | ||
| Rangdajied United | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2013 | ||
| Royal Wahingdoh | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2014 | ||
| Aizawl | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2015 | ||
| Real Kashmir | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2017–18 | ||
| TRAU | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2018–19 | ||
| Rajasthan United | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2021 | ||
| Sporting Bengaluru | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2023–24 | ||
| Diamond Harbour | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2024–25 | ||
| Bhawanipore | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2014, 2020 | 2013 | |
| Sporting Goa | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2011 | 2024–25 | |
| Chanmari | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2024–25 | 2015 | |
| Viva Kerala | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2009 | ||
| HAL | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2010 | ||
| United Sikkim | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2012 | ||
| Lonestar Kashmir | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2015 | ||
| Minerva Punjab | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2015–16 | ||
| Southern Samity | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2016–17 | ||
| Hindustan | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2017–18 | ||
| Chhinga Veng | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2018–19 | ||
| Mumbai Kenkre | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2021 | ||
| Vasco | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2010, 2011 | ||
| Ozone | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2017–18, 2018–19 | ||
| United | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2008 | ||
| Kalighat MS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2014 | ||
| Delhi United | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2016–17 | ||
| Bengaluru United | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2020 | ||
| Ambernath United Atlanta | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2022–23 | ||
| Sudeva Delhi | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2023–24 |
From 2008 to 2011 the league was sponsored byOil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and was named theONGC I-League 2nd Division. ONGC was also the title sponsor of the I-League. In October 2011 ONGC was dropped as a sponsor.
| Period | Title Sponsor | Tournament |
|---|---|---|
| 2008–2011 | ONGC | ONGC I-League 2nd Division |
| 2011–2017 | none | I-League 2nd Division |
| 2017–2023 | Hero MotoCorp | Hero I-League 2nd Division / I-League Qualifiers (2020) |
| 2023–present | none | I-League 2 |
| Period | TV telecast | Online streaming |
|---|---|---|
| 2007–2010 | Zee Sports | |
| 2010–2017 | Ten Action,Ten Sports | DittoTV |
| 2017–2019 | JioTV | |
| 2019–2022 | 1Sports | Facebook,JioTV |
| 2022–2024 | YouTube | |
| 2024–present | SSEN |
| Head coach | Club | Wins | Winning years |
|---|---|---|---|
 L. Nandakumar Singh | Royal Wahingdoh, TRAU | 2 | 2014, 2018–19 |
 Dave Booth | Mumbai | 1 | 2008 |
| Peter Vales | Salgaocar | 2009 | |
| Caetano Pinho | ONGC | 2010 | |
 Pradhyum Reddy | Shillong Lajong | 2011 | |
 Philippe De Ridder | United Sikkim | 2012–13 | |
| Karsing Kurbah | Rangdajied United | 2013–14 | |
| Hmingthana Zadeng | Aizawl | 2014–15 | |
| Mauricio Afonso | Dempo | 2015–16 | |
| Gift Raikhan | NEROCA | 2016–17 | |
| David Robertson | Real Kashmir | 2017–18 | |
| Yan Law (sacked midway) | Mohammedan SC | 2020 | |
| Vikrant Sharma | Rajasthan United | 2021 | |
| Surinder Singh | Delhi FC | 2022-23 | |
| Chinta Chandrashekar Rao | SC Bengaluru | 2023-24 | |
 Kibu Vicuña | Diamond Harbour | 2024-25 |
| Season | Top scorer | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 |  Fredrick Okwagbe | HAL | 6 |
| 2009 | Badmus Babatunde | Viva Kerala | 6 |
| 2010 | Badmus Babatunde | ONGC | 4 |
| Joy Ferrao | Vasco | ||
| 2011 | Stanley Okoroigwe | Techno Aryan | 6 |
| 2012 | Daniel Bedemi | United Sikkim | 11 |
| 2013 | Badmus Babatunde | Rangdajied United | 8 |
 Hudson Lima Da Silva | Bhawanipore | ||
| 2014 | Daniel Bedemi | Bhawanipore | 8 |
| 2015 | Ajay Singh | Mohammedan | 11 |
| 2015–16 | Felix Chidi Odili | Dempo | 7 |
| Atinder Mani | Lonestar Kashmir | ||
| 2016–17 | Odafa Okolie | Southern Samity | 9 |
| Felix Chidi Odili | NEROCA | ||
| 2017–18 | Robert de Souza Ribiero | Ozone | 10 |
| 2018–19 |  Phillip Adjah | Mohammedan | 10 |
| Princewill Emeka | TRAU | ||
| 2020 | Syed Shoaib Ahmed | ARA | 7 |
| Ekombong Victor Philip | Garhwal | ||
| 2021 | Anwar Ali Jr. | Delhi FC | 4 |
| 2022–23 | Irfan Yadwad | Bengaluru United | 13 |
| 2023–24 | Thomyo L Shimray | Sporting Bengaluru | 11 |
| Sahil Harijan | United SC | ||
| 2024-25 | Akshunna Tyagi | Bengaluru United | 8 |
As updated on 19 May 2023:[citation needed]
| Champions | ₹ 70 lakhs |
| Runners-up | ₹ 50 lakhs |
| Match winner | ₹ 50,000 |
| Hero of the match | ₹ 20,000 |
| National teams |
| ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League system |
| ||||||||
| Cup competitions |
| ||||||||
| Defunct competitions |
| ||||||||
| Others | |||||||||
