Newly appointed India men’s senior national team head coach Khalid Jamil, on Friday, 15 August 2025, announced a 35-man probable list for the Blue Tigers’ preparatory camp ahead of the CAFA Nations Cup 2025.
The camp will begin in Bengaluru on 16 August, with 22 players already reporting. The remaining 13 are expected to join after completing their Durand Cup 2025 commitments with their respective clubs.
🚨 Khalid Jamil announces 35-man probable squad for the #BlueTigers‘ preparatory camp for the CAFA Nations Cup 2025!#IndianFootball https://t.co/1S5zEE6XKA
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) August 15, 2025
India, drawn in Group B, will travel to Hisor, Tajikistan, to face the hosts on 29 August, IR Iran on 1 September, and Afghanistan on 4 September. The third-place play-off and final will be held on 8 September, in Hisor and Tashkent (Uzbekistan), respectively.
In a notable move, Sunil Chhetri has been left out of Jamil’s first-ever probable squad as national team head coach. Chhetri was brought out of retirement in March by Jamil’s predecessor, Manolo Márquez, to shoulder the goalscoring burden, given Márquez’s lack of faith in emerging Indian forwards. However, the veteran striker managed only one goal in four matches during that stint.
Instead, Jamil has opted for Irfan Edwad, Vikram Partap Singh, Rahim Ali, and Jamshedpur’s Manvir Singh as his centre-forward options.
The coach has also caught attention by including Sunil Benchamin, the 32-year-old Army Red defender who impressed in the Durand Cup group stage against Jamshedpur. Benchamin, an army personnel, has previously turned out for Diamond Harbour FC and TRAU FC but has never featured in the ISL.
Debut call-ups have gone to Alex Saji and goalkeeper Albino Gomes. Several familiar names have also been recalled, including Akash Mishra (after a long injury lay-off), Rahul KP, Danish Farooq, and Vikram Partap Singh. Rahim Ali and Irfan Edwad return after missing recent camps, while winger Jithin MS earns his much-anticipated first call-up.
With the Durand Cup ongoing, players from Mohun Bagan Super Giant, East Bengal, Jamshedpur FC, and NorthEast United will join later.
From Mohun Bagan, seven players are on the list: Anirudh Thapa, Apuia, Sahal Abdul Samad, Liston Colaco, Manvir Singh, Deepak Tangri, and Vishal Kaith. Abhishek Singh and Suhail Bhatt, part of the last senior team squad, have been named in the U-23 team for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in Qatar from 3 September.
From East Bengal, Anwar Ali, Mahesh Naorem, and Jeakson Singh have been called up. From Jamshedpur, Albino Gomes and Manvir Singh make the cut, while NorthEast United’s sole representative is Jithin MS.
Also Read: 22 players report to senior India men’s national team camp in Bengaluru