India announces 27-member squad for FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Kuwait; I-League stars Edmund Lalrindika and David Lalhlansanga get the nod
With just a fortnight remaining for the Indian men's senior team's all-important clash against Kuwait in the second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers, head coach Igor Stimac announced a 27-member squad on Thursday, May 23.
The initially announced 32 players have been training in the Bhubaneswar camp for the past two weeks. Excluding Phurba Lachenpa, Parthib Gogoi, Imran Khan, Muhammad Hammad, and Jithin MS, who have been released from the final list, the rest will continue to train there until May 29 when they will travel to Kolkata.
Mohammedan's David Lalhlansanga and Inter Kashi's Edmund Lalrindika are the only players from the I-League left in the squad. It's a maiden senior team call-up for both and Stimac's decision to retain them in the camp, highlights the trust the gaffer has in these youngsters.
Meanwhile, Sunil Chhetri, unsurprisingly, is named in the squad as he is set to retire from international football after the clash against Kuwait. Jay Gupta, who impressed heavily in the ISL last season, has also been retained in the absence of injured Akash Mishra.
The Blue Tigers started their second round of qualification matches with a triumphant victory over Kuwait in November 2023, before succumbing to a resounding 3-0 defeat against heavyweights Qatar on home soil in Odisha. The subsequent matches didn't bring much relief either, as they managed only a point against a depleted Afghanistan team and suffered a 1-2 loss to them in Guwahati.
Despite these setbacks, India sits second in the table. The top two teams in the group will qualify for Round 3 of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and book their berth at the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027. The Stimac-coached outfit's hopes for qualifying for the next round hinge on a win against Kuwait provided other results go their way.
After facing Kuwait at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on June 6, India will travel to take on Qatar on June 11 in their last two matches of Group A.
Full squad for India's FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Kuwait
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, and Vishal Kaith.
Defenders: Amey Ranawade, Anwar Ali, Jay Gupta, Lalchungnunga, Mehtab Singh, Narender, Nikhil Poojary, Rahul Bheke, and Subhasish Bose.
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Edmund Lalrindika, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Liston Colaco, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Nandhakumar Sekar, Sahal Abdul Samad, and Suresh Singh Wangjam.
Forwards: David Lalhlansanga, Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Sunil Chhetri, and Vikram Partap Singh.