No Sunil Chhetri As Khalid Jamil Names India National Football Team's 23-Man Squad for CAFA Nations Cup 2025
India have been placed in Group B, which will be played in Dushanbe. India will play host Tajikistan (August 29), Iran (September 1), and Afghanistan (September 4). Notably, the CAFA Nations Cup will be Jamil’s first chance to see his team in action ahead of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.
Mumbai, August 25: Khalid Jamil has named his 23-member squad for the CAFA Nations Cup, with goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu returning to the mix. The Indian senior men’s national team are participating in the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup 2025, starting from August 29, after Malaysia withdrew from the tournament due to logistical challenges and the unavailability of players. Sunil Chhetri is not included in the 23-man Indian football team's squad for the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup. Khalid Jamil Stresses Importance of Unity in Indian National Football Team.
India have been placed in Group B, which will be played in Dushanbe. India will play host Tajikistan (August 29), Iran (September 1), and Afghanistan (September 4). Notably, the CAFA Nations Cup will be Jamil’s first chance to see his team in action ahead of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.
“My doors are always open to every player. The CAFA Nations Cup will be an excellent opportunity for us to test our players against quality teams. Some players may not be in the squad right now because I want to try a few other less-tested ones, but rest assured, we will bring our best available squad for the Asian Cup qualifiers,” Jamil had said.
The top two teams from each group will progress to the play-off stage, which will see two matches being played on September 8. The third-place match will be played between the two group runners-up in Dushanbe, while the two group winners will play the final in Tashkent. Khalid Jamil Signs Full-Time Contract As Indian Senior Men’s Football Team Head Coach.
CAFA has six members - Afghanistan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Kygryz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Oman and India are the two invited sides for the second edition of the CAFA Nations Cup. Iran are the defending champions, having beaten Uzbekistan 1-0 in the 2023 final.
India Squad for CAFA Nations Cup
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Hrithik Tiwari
Defenders: Rahul Bheke, Naorem Roshan Singh, Anwar Ali, Sandesh Jhingan, Chinglensana Singh, Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Muhammed Uvais
Midfielders: Nikhil Prabhu, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Danish Farooq Bhat, Jeakson Singh, Boris Singh, Ashique Kuruniyan, Udanta Singh, Naorem Mahesh Singh
Forwards: Irfan Yadwad, Manvir Singh (Jr.), Jithin MS, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Vikram Partap Singh
Head coach: Khalid Jamil
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 25, 2025 04:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).