Sporting Club Delhi finished third from bottom in a truncated 2025-26 Indian Super League (ISL) season.

Contrary to its last-gasp preparation in the lead-up to the previous edition amid severe uncertainty surrounding the league, the club has had more time to plan for the 2026-27 season. The build-up has entailed participation in the 135th edition of the Durand Cup, where it reached the semifinals before losing to eventual champion East Bengal FC on penalties.

It makes SC Delhi coach Tomasz Tchorz hopeful about the new ISL campaign. The northern outfit will face Bengaluru FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru in the opener on Saturday.

“It’s very exciting to have an opportunity to start the second season with SC Delhi. In the first season, where the threat of relegation was there, the most important thing was to stay in the league. But our objective is always to be in the top six. Our players now understand how it is to compete at the highest level in India. A takeaway from last season was the experience that the young talents got. This will be a positive for us in the new season,” Tchorz said during a virtual media interaction on Thursday.

To assist the Polish tactician in his objective, SC Delhi has made a few signings. Among them is 23-year-old midfielder Lalrinliana Hnamte, who was with Chennaiyin FC for the past two seasons.

“I’m very happy with his arrival. It’s a little bit of fresh air in the dressing room. It is important for us to create a group that is very competitive and represents our values but also gives us a little bit more of the leadership. He has already shown the qualities of being a leader.”