Overview

• India face hosts Tajikistan on August 29 at Hisor Central Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 9:00 pm IST.
• Khalid Jamil leads his first match in charge with a 23-man squad that includes goalkeepers Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh and Hrithik Tiwari.
• Preparation and selection were constrained as Mohun Bagan SG withheld several regulars for this non‑FIFA‑window event, veteran Sunil Chhetri is not in the squad, and broader AIFF/ISL issues have weighed on the buildup.
• Group B fixtures continue against Iran on September 1 and Afghanistan on September 4 in a tournament co‑hosted by Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with group winners meeting in the September 8 final.
• Broadcast plans remain uncertain, with some outlets reporting a FanCode stream for the opener and others noting no official confirmation yet.