Indian men’s national team head coach Khalid Jamil on Monday announced a 26-member squad for three international friendlies against Panama, Brazil and Uruguay during the September-October FIFA International Match Window.
The Blue Tigers will begin their campaign against Panama at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on September 26 before travelling to Kolkata for high-profile clashes against five-time world champions Brazil on October 3 and two-time world champions Uruguay on October 6.
All three opponents featured at the FIFA World Cup held earlier this year, giving India an opportunity to test themselves against higher-ranked international opposition during the upcoming window.
Jamil’s squad will assemble in Bengaluru on September 14 for a preparatory camp ahead of the Panama fixture. Following the opening match, the Indian team will leave for Kolkata on September 28 to prepare for the remaining two encounters at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan.
The 26-member group includes four goalkeepers, eight defenders, eight midfielders and six forwards.
India squad:
Goalkeepers: Albino Gomes, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, Som Kumar.
Defenders: Abhishek Singh Tekcham, Akash Mishra, Anwar Ali, Bijoy Varghese, Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Jay Gupta, Pramveer, Ricky Meetei Haobam.
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Ashique Kuruniyan, Farukh Choudhary, Lalengmawia Ralte, Macarton Nickson, Mohammed Sanan, Ricky Shabong, Sahal Abdul Samad.
Forwards: Edmund Lalrindika, Irfan Yadwad, Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Ryan Williams, Vikram Partap Singh.
Jamil has also named four reserve players who could be drafted into the squad if required. Goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari, defenders Chinglensana Singh Konsham and Roshan Singh Naorem, and midfielder Suresh Singh Wangjam have been placed on standby.
The upcoming window will see the Blue Tigers play in two cities, beginning in Bengaluru before shifting to Kolkata for their matches against Brazil and Uruguay.
India’s schedule:
September 26: India vs Panama – Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru
October 3: India vs Brazil – Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata
October 6: India vs Uruguay – Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata.
