Overview

• India face hosts Tajikistan on August 29 at 9:00 pm IST at Central Stadium in Hisor, where all of their group matches will be played.
• Group B fixtures continue against Iran on September 1 and Afghanistan on September 4, with the CAFA event co-hosted by Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and the final scheduled in Tashkent on September 8.
• Head coach Khalid Jamil has a 23-man squad in place after a shortened camp, with Mohun Bagan SG declining to release several players including Liston Colaco, Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Vishal Kaith, Manvir Singh and Subhasish Bose.
• Analysts foresee a difficult group stage for India given limited preparation and higher-ranked opponents, viewing the tournament as a chance to assess options ahead of Asian Cup qualifying.
• No official broadcast partner had been confirmed at the time of reporting, with fans expecting coverage via the AIFF YouTube channel and DD Sports.