Sunil Chhetri Left Out: India's New Squad for Asian Cup Qualifiers

Indian football team head coach Khalid Jamil announced a 23-man squad for the upcoming Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh, notably excluding star striker Sunil Chhetri. India, already out of contention for the main tournament, will play in Dhaka on November 18. Further additions to the squad are expected.

Indian football team head coach Khalid Jamil has announced a list of 23 probables for the Asian Cup qualifiers match against Bangladesh. The squad, surprisingly, does not include talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri.

The match, set for November 18 in Dhaka, comes as India has already been eliminated from qualifying for the main tournament, to take place in Saudi Arabia in 2027, after a loss to Singapore.

Although Chhetri's absence raises eyebrows, it aligns with his recent return from retirement solely aimed to aid India's qualifying efforts, now defunct. The team heads to Dhaka on November 15.

(With inputs from agencies.)