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Stephen Constantine's men topped the group which consisted of Kyrgyz Republic, Myanmar, and Macau to secure a spot in the Asian Cup after a span of eight years. India have been put up in Group A and will compete against the hosts UAE, Thailand, and Myanmar to qualify for the next round.
After agonisingly missing out on the qualification in 2015, they have marched into this competition with a 13-match unbeaten streak under Stephen Constantine who is spending his second spell as India's boss. Even though the Blues have climbed more than 70 spots under the Englishman, he has often been criticised for his woeful football. But, football is a result oriented game these days.
In a recently concluded friendly, India were no match to Jordan. The hosts rightfully won the game 2-1, but they missed plenty of chances from point-blank range. Fate remains in Constantine's hands, but he must properly make use of the talented players in the squad to get the best out of them.
India have named a 23-man squad for this tournament which will be held between January 5 and February 1 at the United Arab Emirates. There are some names which have surprisingly popped up, and other names have not.
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Vishal Kaith
Defenders: Pritam Kotal, Sarthak Golui, Sandesh Jhingan, Salam Ranjan Singh, Subhasish Bose, Narayan Das, Anas Edathodika
Midfielders: Udanta Singh, Rowllin Borges, Anirudh Thapa, Vinit Rai, Halicharan Narzary, Ashique Kuruniyan, Germanpreet Singh, Pronay Halder, Jakichand Singh
Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Jeje Lalpekhlua, Sumeet Passi, Balwant Singh
In this article, we shall look at the predicted eleven of India's squad in the Asian Cup 2019.
Goalkeeper - Gurpeet Singh Sandhu
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is the best shot-stopper available at stake for India right now. The 26-year-old was immense for Bengaluru the last term and has carried the same form into the new season for the ISL outfit.
He made his debut for his nation as a 19-year-old against Turkmenistan in a 1-1 draw in 2011. The goalkeeper has been ever-present between sticks over the last four years for India, and Stephen Constantine handed over the captain's armband to Gurpreet for the first time in 2016 against Puerto Rico in a friendly.
He has healthy competition for the goalkeeping position, as Amrinder Singh and Vishal Kaith look to give their best in the training to give a headache to Constantine. Currently, there is no chance of dislodging Gurpreet in between the sticks.
Right back - Pritam Kotal
Pritam Kotal is expected to start through the right flank of the defence. The Indian International has established himself in the starting eleven under the management of Stephen Constantine.
Having produced string of consistent performances for his club, Kotal is expected to stand up to the task for India. Sarthak Golui is another right-back available, but Kotal is vastly experienced compared to his compatriot.
Right Center-back - Sandesh Jhingan
Sandesh Jhingan is one of the dominant defenders India has produced over the last few years. The Kerala Blasters defender is one among the few who will have their names reserved on the teamsheet after performing so well in recent months.
Salam Ranjan Singh will be fighting to claim a spot in the starting eleven. It will not be easy for Sandesh as his ISL side Kerala have been suffering miserably both defensively and in the offensive part of the game. However, he will be itching to do well and will hope for a change of fortunes in Indian colour.
Left Center-Back - Subhasish Bose
There will be a lot of disaccording when it comes down to deciding between Subhasish Bose and Anas Edathodika.
Despite featuring regularly a left-back for Mumbai City FC, Subhasish has the versatility to shift to the left side of centre-half. However, he has opted as centre-back by Stephen Constantine in the national team.
On the other side, Anas has been injury plagued in recent years. He has lost quite a bit of pace and has struggled for his club as well. Subhasish Bose should be featuring ahead of Anas in the Asian Cup.
Left back - Narayan Das
Manager Stephen Constantine has decided to put his unabridged trust on Narayan Das to operate as a left-back. Like Gurpreet, he made his debut against Turkmenistan in 2011 and has added another 27 caps to his nation.
The left-back has been a star turned for the clubs he has represented so far - Pune City, FC Goa, and Delhi Dynamos. He has been a regular starter under the English manager and is anticipated to operate through the left-flank.
Central midfielder - Anirudh Thapa
Anirudh Thapa had a remarkable breakthrough to his club and country career. The young midfielder has made a name for himself in the last one year under John Gregory and Stephen Constantine.
Containing an abundance of energy, the 20-year-old is integral to India's setup. He was India's best player in the Suzuki Cup. However, he would have to battle for a spot with Vinit Rai and Germanpreet Singh to find a place in the starting eleven.
Central midfielder - Pronay Halder
Pronay Halder likes to sit back with the defence and dictate the game. He could prove to be a very good player with such intelligence to cut down the attacks and feed the forwards with his vision too.
He is currently plying his trade with ATK in the Indian Super League and has started nine games this season. He will be up against the strong Rowllin Borges who has been fantastic for Northeast by notching up two goals and two assists in the process. Selecting one of these two will be a major resolution to make.
Right Wing - Udanta Singh
The 22-year old attacker operates through the right attacking flank for both his club and country. He has breakneck pace and has the capability to beat the defenders with his nimble footwork.
He has always been among the goals having scored three for Bengaluru FC this season. However, it will be a huge task for him because Jackichand Singh is another player who has been fascinating to watch under Sergio Lobera at FC Goa. There is no doubt about the quality of these two individuals, but Udanta is certain to get the cut above Jakichand in the lineup.
Left Wing - Halicharan Narzary
Halicharan Narzary is another name who finds himself in the lineup. The Kerala Blasters forward has had a substandard start to this campaign, but he has a lot to offer in the final third of the game.
With the trickery to get past defenders and work hard up and down the pitch, Narzary has been one of the most picked players by Stephen Constantine. Ashique Kuruniyan will be no more than a backup to Halicharan.
Striker - Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri started the Indian Super League season slowly but has been outstanding in the last few weeks for the Blues. The skipper is the highest scorer in country's history and is expected to cement his place in the starting eleven.
It is no doubt that India's most coruscating striker is Sunil Chhetri who is versatile to play anywhere around the front line. He was not part of India's friendly against Jordan last time, but he is expected to take the responsibility in front of the goal. Talent Sumeet Passi will be finding himself on the bench.
Striker - Jeje Lalpekhlua
Sunil Chhetri's compatriot Jeje Lalpekhlua has been struggling to find the back of the net this season. The Chennaiyin FC striker is yet to break his deadlock this season albeit playing 11 games this term.
It has been a frustrating season for Chennaiyin FC as a whole because they are currently in the rock bottom with 5 points from 12 games. It is no brainer that Jeje would require supply because he is more of a holdup player than a striker who likes to run behind the defenders. If he continues his torrid form during the Asian Cup, Balwant Singh will fancy his chances in the starting eleven.
