ISL Players Face Salary Cuts Amid Truncated Season & Survival Crisis

• The 12th ISL season is confirmed to start on February 14, 2026, but will be truncated with 72 fewer games than planned.
• Clubs are implementing salary cuts of up to 25% for players earning over 1 Crore Rupees and 10-15% for others to ensure financial survival.
• Bengaluru FC owner Parth Jindal urged players to make sacrifices, highlighting the financial burden and risk of clubs shutting down without their cooperation.
• The league faced a major crisis due to the expiration of the AIFF-FSDL Master's Rights Agreement, Supreme Court intervention, and lack of new commercial partners.
• Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya's intervention and government reassurance ultimately led to the league's commencement, bringing relief to Indian football.

Why It Matters: ISL season confirmed with player salary cuts, highlighting financial struggles and administrative hurdles for Indian football.