Overview

• India face hosts Tajikistan on Friday at Hisor Central Stadium to start Group B, with Iran on September 1 and Afghanistan on September 4.
• Khalid Jamil, in his first matches as head coach, said a 10-day Bengaluru camp set the tone for a fresh approach focused on building a cohesive unit.
• Several Mohun Bagan Super Giant players were withheld because the event falls outside a FIFA window, and veteran forward Sunil Chhetri was left out by mutual agreement.
• Jamil emphasized shared responsibility and named Sandesh Jhingan, Rahul Bheke and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu as co-captains for the campaign.
• The eight-team event is co-hosted by Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and group winners advance to the September 8 final with runners-up playing for third place.