Former India captain Sunil Chhetri has called on the Tata Group to reverse its decision to shut down Indian Super League (ISL) club Jamshedpur FC, warning that the conglomerate's exit from top-flight football would be a significant setback for the sport.

Jamshedpur FC announced on Friday, August 1st, 2026, that they would withdraw from the ISL, which has yet to confirm a start date for the 2026-27 season and currently lacks a broadcast partner. The league, now managed under a club-led model, has struggled to gain momentum, with India ranked 138th globally in football.

"The League will have a team less, but the season will go on. However, not having the TATA group involved in the top tier of Indian football - that would be a setback with no alternative," Chhetri wrote on X. He added, "I can only request and hope that the think tank at TATA picks their heart over head and reconsiders this call. It might be a poor business decision, but it will be the one Indian football needs the most at this hour."

Founded in 2017, Jamshedpur FC won the ISL League Winners' Shield in the 2021-22 season and reached the final of the domestic Super Cup last year. The ISL held a shortened season last year after the All India Football Federation and Reliance Industries ended a 15-year commercial partnership amid a Supreme Court case concerning the implementation of a new AIFF constitution.

Sources