Sunil Chhetri's farewell match: Preview, squad, telecast details and more for India vs Kuwait WC Qualifiers clashÂ
With the imminent international retirement of Sunil Chhetri, there's a foreboding, ominous cloud engulfing the Indian footballing fraternity. Yet, the euphoria of an unprecedented entry into the third round of FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers can't be suppressed.
Four points on the board, second in the standings, with two games remaining; the Indian men's senior team, despite a string of underwhelming results, are primed to break into the next round of the qualification phase. Their upcoming hurdle? A resilient Kuwait outfit, whom they marginally overcame in the opening round of Group A fixtures, on Thursday, June 6.
Since that night in November 2023, the Blue Wave has crested in belief and merit over the past few matches, earning a 4-0 victory over Afghanistan, and then delivering a committed performance in a 1-2 defeat to heavyweights Qatar. Although the Rui Bento-coached side is at the bottom of the standings with three points, a win over India could completely switch the tide.
Meanwhile, performances for the Blue Tigers have taken a prolonged dip but the occasion of their eternal skipper bidding farwell to the national setup will definitely get their adrenaline pumping. Chhetri, who has been a faithful servant for the country over the last 19 years, will be yearning to retire on a high, tick another box, stab home another of his record-breaking goals.
After their 1-0 victory over Kuwait in the opener, India's momentum was halted after succumbing to an unsurprising 3-0 defeat against Qatar and two underwhelming results against Afghanistan. While the Lions of Khorasan held the Igor Stimac's men to a draw in the away fixture, India suffered a 1-2 loss at Guwahati in the reverse leg. Anything less than three points against Kuwait would spell trouble for the Blue Tigers.
India vs Kuwait: Match details for the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers clash
Match: India vs Kuwait, FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers second round, Group A
Date: Thursday, June 6 at 7.00 pm IST
Venue: Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata
India vs Kuwait: Full squad for the two sides
India's 26-member squad
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.
Kuwait's 26-member squad
Goalkeepers: Sulaiman Abdulghafour, Saud Al-Hoshan, Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli.
Defenders: Sami Al-Sanea, Fahad Al Hajeri, Meshari Ghanam, Khalid El Ebrahim, Hassan Al-Enezi, Rashed Al-Dosary, Hamad Al-Harbi.
Midfielders: Ahmed Al-Dhefiri, Redha Hani, Azbi Shehab, Mahdi Dashti, Sultan Al-Enezi, Bader Tarek, Bandar Boresli, Abdulaziz Mohammad Wadi, Eid Al-Rasheedi, Salman Bormeya.
Forwards: Mohammad Daham, Mubarak Al Faneni, Faisal Zayed, Ali Khalaf, Yousef Nasser, Salman Al Awadhi.
India vs Kuwait: Telecast and live stream details for the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers clash
The all-important clash between India and Kuwait on June 6 will be broadcast on the Sports18 network (Sports18 1, Sports18 1 HD, Sports18 3). The match will also be available to stream for free on Jio Cinema.