Rajasthan United FC 1 (Martand Raina 45+3′)
drew with
Inter Kashi 1 (Khangembam Bidyashagar Singh 31′)
AIFF Media Team
JAIPUR: Rajasthan United FC kept their new-found reputation of staying unbeaten in the ongoing I-League 2024-25 campaign intact when they held title aspirants Inter Kashi to a 1-1 draw at the Vidyadhar Nagar Stadium, on Tuesday, January 28, 2025. Both goals came in the first half.
Rajasthan United, who lost four of their first five matches, including a 0-8 drubbing against Shillong Lajong FC, seem to have suddenly recovered their form and haven’t lost one in seven matches so far.
In a fairly well-attended match, Khangembam Bidyashagar Singh put the visitors ahead in the 31st minute, while defender Martand Raina restored parity during the add-on time of the first half. While Inter Kashi remain rooted to the third spot with 18 points from 11 matches, Rajasthan United with 16 points from 11 matches are at the sixth position.
The teams came with a different mindset from their previous encounters. While Inter Kashi were still smarting under the huge defeat against Gokulam Kerala FC, Rajasthan had the satisfaction of relegating Churchill Brothers from their top position with a rather unexpected victory.
Inter Kashi’s pride was certainly hurt. On Tuesday, they came calling from the beginning and initiated a wave of attacks on the rival goal. It left Rajasthan on their edges and they were certainly living dangerously in the first half an hour. Had not a prodigal Bidyashagar Singh missed a couple of easy chances, the home side would have been in a deficit that they could have found hard to erase.
Bidyashagar Singh, however, made amends in the 31st minute when he put Inter Kashi in the lead. A Sumeet Passi cross from the right deflected off the goalkeeper Bhabindra Thakuri and hit the post. Bidyashagar, who was lurking around, tapped in.
The goal, probably, woke up Rajasthan United from their slumber. They began attacking with some vigour and struck the equaliser just before half time. A curling free-kick by their Spanish skipper Alain Oyarzun landed in the Inter Kashi box and Raina came up with a header that eluded the hands of lanky custodian Arindam Bhattacharya.
The equaliser, somehow, got the rhythm out of the visiting side, who, till then, were definitely the better team on the pitch. They did hold the upper hand in the second session, but it wasn’t enough to breach the Rajasthan defence, who managed to take home a point with a calculated show in the midfield.
