Igor Stimac names 23-member squad for 49th King's Cup; Sunil Chhetri rested
Aug 29, 2023
New Delhi [India], August 29 : Indian men’s football team will be without captain Sunil Chhetri for the King’s Cup tournament in Thailand as head coach Igor Stimac named a 23-member squad for the tournament that will be held in Thailand from September 7 to 10.
The All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) haven’t mentioned a reason for Chhetri not being included in the squad for the King’s Cup in the official release but India will go in with a strong squad for the tournament.
The four-nation tournament will be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand from September 7 to 10. The tournament will be played in a knockout format.
India (ranked 99th) will face Iraq (ranked 70th) in the semi-final on September 7 at the 700th Anniversary Stadium. Hosts Thailand (ranked 113th) take on Lebanon (ranked 100th) in the other semifinal on the same day.
The national team, even without Chhetri, appears to be pretty balanced as Brandon Fernandes and Suresh Wangjam return.
Sandesh Jhingan and Subhasish Bose, two experienced players, will handle the defence, while Anirudh Thapa, Roshan Naorem Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad, and Brandon are among the midfield's roster of accomplished performers.
The semi-final winners will contest the final on September 10, while the losers will play in the third-place playoff.
India won bronze when they last participated in the King's Cup in 2019.
Here is the full India squad for the King’s Cup 2023: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Asish Rai, Nikhil Poojary, Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Mehtab Singh, Lalchungnunga, Akash Mishra, Subhasish Bose, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Brandon Fernandes, Sahal Abdul Samad, Anirudh Thapa, Rohit Kumar, Ashique Kuruniyan, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali and Rahul KP.
