Overview
- Kickoff is at 9 PM IST on Friday at Hisor Central Stadium in Tajikistan for the Group B fixture.
- The match is India’s first under head coach Khalid Jamil following his August 1 appointment by the AIFF.
- Sunil Chhetri is not in the squad and Mohun Bagan Super Giant did not release players, leaving out names such as Anirudh Thapa and Subhashish Bose.
- Selections include Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Sandesh Jhingan, Jeakson Singh and Lallianzuala Chhangte in a largely younger group.
- India enter ranked 133rd and winless since November 2023, while Tajikistan are ranked 106th and arrive after a 2-1 win over Cambodia.