Overview

• The new India head coach confirmed a 23-man roster for his first assignment, leaving out Sunil Chhetri after not calling him to the camp as he prioritised evaluating less-tested players.
• Mohun Bagan Super Giant withheld seven players because the event falls outside the FIFA window, ruling out Liston Colaco, Manvir Singh and Subhasish Bose from selection.
• Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu returns, while East Bengal’s Anwar Ali, Naorem Mahesh Singh and Jeakson Singh, plus Jithin MS, joined late and made the final list.
• India are in Group B and will play Tajikistan on August 29, Iran on September 1 and Afghanistan on September 4 in Tajikistan.
• Jamil said he will work with available players and use the tournament to prepare for October’s Asian Cup qualifiers, noting the squad’s focus despite ISL uncertainty.