Indian Super League, Kerala Blasters vs ATK: Sachin Tendulkar Has A Message For Fans Ahead Of Tournament Opener

Cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar on Friday requested fans to support Kerala Blasters ahead of their opening tie against ATK in the Indian Super League 2017 (ISL). The former India captain posted a message on his official Twitter account. "The @KeralaBlasters team is all set to charge through the next season. And we're ready to roar in support of them. I'll be cheering for you guys. All the best! #IniKaliMaarum #LetsFootball", he tweeted.

The @KeralaBlasters team is all set to charge through the next season. And we're ready to roar in support of them. I'll be cheering for you guys. All the best! #IniKaliMaarum #LetsFootball pic.twitter.com/KgDsv9GI2R

— sachin tendulkar (@sachin_rt) November 17, 2017

Tendulkar is the co-owner of Kerala Blasters and his team will host two-time champions ATK at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi. Bollywood stars Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif will perform at the opening ceremony. 

The fourth season of the ISL will see two new teams, Jamshedpur FC and Bengaluru FC, take part. The winner of the fourth season will get a direct spot in the AFC Cup (Asia's equivalent of Europe's Europa League). 

In order to nurture homegrown talent, teams are now required to have at least six Indians on the field. A total of 95 matches will be played this season with ten participating teams. The 10 teams will play each other in a round-robin format in 90 games before the two-legged semi-finals, which will take place in March. The final of the marquee tournament will be held on March 17, 2018 in Kolkata.