Indian Army FT March On with Dominant Victory Over Baghpat FC

by Chandler D'silva August 6, 2026

Indian Army Football Team continued their impressive run in the 135th IndianOil Durand Cup with a convincing 4-0 victory over Baghpat FC in a Group B encounter at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan on Wednesday. A commanding first-half display laid the foundation for the win, with goals from Samir Murmu, Saikhom Borish Singh, Shubham Rana and P. Christopher Kamei securing maximum points for the Services side and taking them to the top of the group with six points from two matches.

Having started their campaign with a victory, Indian Army entered the contest full of confidence and quickly took control of possession. Their attacking intent was evident from the opening minutes, forcing Baghpat goalkeeper Ayan Bhattacharya into an early intervention outside his penalty area to prevent a dangerous attack.

The breakthrough came in the 12th minute through a swift counter-attacking move. Christopher Kamei spotted Samir Murmu’s intelligent run behind the defence and delivered a perfectly weighted pass. Murmu timed his run to perfection before calmly lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper to hand the Army side a deserved lead.

Indian Army continued to dominate proceedings, stretching the Baghpat defence with dangerous attacks down both flanks. The pressure paid off once again in the 23rd minute when Christopher Kamei floated an inviting cross into the box, allowing Saikhom Borish Singh to rise highest and power a header into the back of the net for the second goal.

Baghpat attempted to respond and came close through substitute Senthamil S, whose header drifted wide after a teasing delivery from Crispin C. Cleetus. However, the Services side quickly regained control and extended their advantage in the 36th minute. Pardeep Singh’s header struck the post following another dangerous cross, but Shubham Rana reacted quickest to fire home the rebound from close range.

The first half ended on a high for Indian Army as Christopher Kamei capped off an outstanding performance with a stunning goal in stoppage time. After receiving a cutback from Pawar Abhishek Shankar, the midfielder shifted the ball onto his left foot before curling a superb effort into the top corner, giving his side a commanding 4-0 lead heading into the break.

Baghpat showed greater determination after halftime and enjoyed more possession, with captain Aaryan Amla, Ningthoukhongjam Rohen Singh and Crispin C. Cleetus trying to create openings in the final third. However, the Indian Army defence remained compact and disciplined, comfortably dealing with every attacking threat.

Despite easing off the tempo in the second half, Indian Army continued to create opportunities. Shubham Rana went close to adding another goal, while Ayan Bhattacharya produced two excellent saves to deny Pawar Abhishek Shankar and Samir Murmu, preventing the scoreline from becoming even more emphatic.

Baghpat also showed resilience in the closing stages, with substitute Tejas Narayan Choudhary making several important defensive contributions and Om Motghare producing a crucial block to deny another Army attack. However, the debutants were unable to find a breakthrough against a well-organised Indian Army backline.

The Services outfit comfortably managed the remainder of the contest to secure a second successive victory and strengthen their position at the top of Group B. For Baghpat FC, the defeat brought an end to their maiden Durand Cup campaign without a point, but the experience gained from competing against quality opposition will serve as an important learning curve for the club moving forward.

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