The 18th edition of the AFC Asian Cup is all set to begin on January 12 in Qatar. India are in Group B, along with Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria. The Blue Tigers will begin their campaign on January 13 against Australia. However, some crucial players like Anwar Ali, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Ashique Kuruniyan and Rohit Kumar are missing due to injuries.
Hence, Igor Stimac, the coach, named a 26-man squad where only nine players have previous experience of playing in this prestigious tournament. They are Amrinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Vishal Kaith, Pritam Kotal, Sandesh Jhingan, Subhasish Bose, Anirudh Thapa, Udanta Singh, and Sunil Chhetri. The other 17 players will be eager to gain some experience while representing their nation in this tournament. But there are some, who might surprise on their tournament debut.
Lallianzuala Chhangte
The Mumbai City right winger could be the most exciting player to watch for from Team India. With his pace, ability to run down the flank and dribbling skills, Chhangte can light up the tournament. Since making his international debut in 2015, he has scored seven goals in 32 appearances for the national side. ISL 2022-23 was his breakthrough season as he notched up 10 goals along with six assists in 22 matches for Mumbai. In the ongoing ISL season, he has two goals and two assists to his name.
In the last match against Chennaiyin FC, he scored a goal in Mumbai’s 3-0 win and that would boost his confidence. He also registered the assist to Manvir Singh in India’s famous 1-0 win over Kuwait in a World Cup Qualifier in November. However, it will be interesting to see whether Stimac uses him as a starter or as a substitute to expose the opponents to his pace in the second half. So far, he has been in the starting XI on 19 occasions, while appearing as a substitute 13 times.
Naorem Mahesh Singh
The 24-year-old left winger from Manipur has been one of the few brightest sparks for East Bengal FC. In his debut season for EBFC, he scored only two goals but in the ISL 2022-23, Mahesh levelled up his game and registered two goals along with seven assists. In March 2023, he made his international debut and since then, he has been a regular part of the squad.
In 15 appearances, he has scored three goals. His ability to find the back of the net has been the main difference with others, along with his ability to provide good balls into the box for the strikers. In the ongoing ISL season, he has two goals and two assists in 10 matches. Stimac has shown considerable faith in him by putting him in the starting XI on 7 occasions and using him as a substitute 8 times.
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Lalengmawia Ralte
This young central midfielder from Aizawl, Mizoram, has become the most-talked-about player in recent years on the Indian football circuit. Lalengmawia Ralte, nicknamed Apuia, made his India debut in March 2021. But, in the initial years, Stimac was reportedly not happy with him due to some disciplinary issues.
But his consistency for Mumbai City FC helped him earn back his place in the national side. Apuia looks very calm and composed on the ball and is known for his tenacity, work rate, interceptions and passing. He has come through the ranks over the years. First, he joined Indian Arrows from AIFF U18s. Then, the youngster signed for Northeast United before making a move to Mumbai in 2021. In this ongoing ISL season, he has played all 11 matches so far for MCFC.
Akash Mishra
This 22-year-old left-back has marked his presence with some excellent displays down the flanks. Mishra is known for his positioning on the pitch and crosses from the wing. Defensively, he recovers the ball quickly and goes head-to-head with the opponents’ attackers. Another trait that makes him special is his willingness to go forward and score goals.
He played a pivotal role in Hyderabad FC’s ISL winning season in 2021-22, with two goals and three assists. However, before this ongoing ISL season, he joined Mumbai City FC and has played nine matches so far. Since making his international debut in March 2021, Mishra has made 24 appearances.
Nikhil Poojary
In his initial years, Poojary was a right winger who had exciting pace, dribbling ability, and flair on the flanks. But, with time, he adopted defensive responsibilities and positional discipline. Now, he is India’s one of the best right-backs. In his successful transition, his versatility and adaptability were key factors while Poojary enhanced his tactical understanding of his game.
An attacking, aggressive mindset and strong work ethic have made him a reliable and effective right-back now. Currently, he is donning the jersey of Hyderabad FC in the ISL and this is his fifth year at the club. He was also a crucial part of the club’s title-winning 2021-22 season. Poojary played his first match for the country in August 2017 and as of now, has played 21 matches.
Note: Sahal Abdul Samad would have made the list due to his vision, and ability to make worthy passes for the attackers and long rangers. But, as of now, he is recovering from an injury and will most likely miss all three group games in the Asian Cup. Hence, he has not been considered.
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