In preparation for the FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Kuwait on June 6 in Kolkata, India’s head coach, Igor Stimac, has finalized a squad of 27 players for the skipper Sunil Chhetri’s last game. Last week, Chhetri announced retirement from international football.
The squad selection follows a camp in Bhubaneswar, which initially included 32 players. Phurba Lachenpa, Parthib Gogoi, Imran Khan, Muhammad Hammad, and Jithin MS have been released from the camp.
Also Read | Sunil Chhetri retires: Captain Fantastic gets emotional
“All of them were very professional and hard-working. The competition is strong amongst them, especially in the positions of Jithin and Parthib,” Stimac said in a press statement.
“Parthib and Hammad suffered minor injuries a few days back and will need 7-14 days of rest,” he added. He did not specify the type of injuries.
Also Read | Sunil Chhetri cites ‘mental aspect’ for retirement, assures ‘I am still fit’
The remaining players will continue training in Bhubaneswar until they depart for Kolkata on May 29. On June 6, the Blue Tigers will face Kuwait at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan.
Also Read | Lautaro Martinez says, ‘I feel like crying’ as Inter Milan beat AC Milan to win Serie A for 20th time
After the match against Kuwait, the Indian team will head to Qatar on June 11 for their final two Group A fixtures. With four points from four games, India is currently ranked second in the group.
Also Read | Did Messi miss football match in Hong Kong due to political reasons? Inter Miami star clarifies stance on China
The group’s top two teams will advance to the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Round 3 and secure a spot in the AFC Asian Cup, which will be held in Saudi Arabia in 2027.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Vishal Kaith.
Defenders: Amey Ranawade, Anwar Ali, Jay Gupta, Lalchungnunga, Mehtab Singh, Narender, Nikhil Poojary, Rahul Bheke, Subhasish Bose.
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Edmund Lalrindika, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Liston Colaco, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Nandhakumar Sekar, Sahal Abdul Samad, Suresh Singh Wangjam.
Forwards: David Lalhlansanga, Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Sunil Chhetri, Vikram Partap Singh.
Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world 🌏 Click here to know more.
You are on Mint! India’s #1 news destination (Source: Press Gazette). To learn more about our business coverage and market insights Click Here!
Download the Mint app and read premium stories
Log in to our website to save your bookmarks. It’ll just take a moment.
You are just one step away from creating your watchlist!
Oops! Looks like you have exceeded the limit to bookmark the image. Remove some to bookmark this image.
Your session has expired, please login again.
You are now subscribed to our newsletters. In case you can’t find any email from our side, please check the spam folder.
This is a subscriber only feature Subscribe Now to get daily updates on WhatsApp
Start Investing in Stocks, Mutual Funds, IPOs, and more
I’m interested in opening a Trading and Demat Account and am comfortable with the online account opening process. I’m open to receiving promotional messages through various channels, including calls, emails & SMS.
Start Investing in Stocks, Mutual Funds, IPOs, and more
Enter OTP
I’m interested in opening a Trading and Demat Account and am comfortable with the online account opening process. I’m open to receiving promotional messages through various channels, including calls, emails & SMS.
The team will get in touch with you shortly