The Indian national football team has undergone significant personnel changes ahead of their upcoming two-match friendly series against New Zealand. Veteran goalkeeper
Among the notable absences is defender Anwar Ali, who has been ruled out after sustaining a Grade 1 hamstring injury. The East Bengal player is expected to remain sidelined for over a month. Additionally, the squad will be without Lalengmawia Ralte, known as Apuia, and Mohammed Sanan, both of whom are unavailable due to injuries. These developments present a tactical challenge for the team as they prepare to face the All Whites on foreign soil.
Squad Adjustments and Upcoming Fixtures
The decision to drop Sandhu follows a difficult outing during India’s recent 0-4 defeat to Brazil. In his place, the goalkeeping department will feature Hrithik Tiwari, Som Kumar, and Vishal Kaith. The squad also sees the inclusion of Bijoy Varghese, Muhammad Suhail, and Liston Colaco, who have been called up from the SAFF Championship team currently competing in Dhaka to bolster the ranks for the New Zealand tour.
Conversely, Farukh Choudhary, Noufal PN, and Hmingthanmawia Ralte have been released from the SAFF Championship squad to return to their club, Mumbai City FC, while Ronney Kharbudon remains unavailable due to injury. The selected players are scheduled to assemble in Bengaluru on Saturday, November 7, for a brief training camp before departing for Auckland on Sunday night.
Head coach Jamil emphasised the importance of the upcoming fixtures, noting that New Zealand’s status as a World Cup-playing nation provides a stern test for his side. The first match is set for Thursday at Auckland’s Go Media Stadium at 11:30 am IST, with the second encounter scheduled for Sunday, November 15, at Christchurch’s One New Zealand Stadium at 8:30 am IST. Jamil expressed his intent to use these matches to foster discipline and collective improvement within the squad.
