Star forward Sunil Chhetri has opted out of the national football team due to domestic reasons for the upcoming King’s Cup, to be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from September 7 to 10.
Head coach Igor Stimac, on Tuesday, announced a 23-member squad for the 49th edition of the King’s Cup Football Tournament.
Chhetri was rested for the Thailand event after the ace striker had asked to skip the four-nation tournament as it is close to the expected delivery date of his first child.
ln Chhetri’s absence, senior players goalkeeper Gurpreet Sandhu and veteran defender Sandesh Jinghan will shoulder the responsibility of leading the team.
Chhetri led the national side to the Intercontinental Cup and SAFF Championship titles recently. The 29-year-old is also in the Indian squad for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Stimac has recalled midfielders Brandon Fernandes and Suresh Wangjam to the national team
India, 99th in FIFA rankings, will open its campaign against Iraq (ranked 70th) in the semi-final on September 7 at the 700th Anniversary Stadium. Hosts Thailand (ranked 113th) will face Lebanon (ranked 100th) in the other semi-final on the same day.
The winners of the two semi-finals will clash in the King’s Cup 2023 final on September 10 while the losers will play the third-place play-off. India finished with a bronze medal when they last participated in the King’s Cup in 2019.
The squad:
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Gurmeet Singh
Defenders: Asish Rai, Nikhil Poojary, Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Mehtab Singh, Lalchungnunga, Akash Mishra, Subhasish Bose
Midfielders: Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Brandon Fernandes, Sahal Abdul Samad, Anirudh Thapa, Rohit Kumar, Ashique Kuruniyan, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte
Forwards: Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Rahul KP