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India have a chance to improve their FIFA Ranking if they beat Philippines and Nepal on November 15 and 19 in Siliguri. But the twin international friendlies also gives some of the players the opportunity to make a statement and cement their place in the starting eleven. Sportskeeda lists five of those players.
Karanjit Singh
Despite being the most consistent goalkeeper in the I-League over the last three years, Karanjit has always found himself second choice whenever Subrata Pal has been fit. But with Wim Koevermans dropping Subrata because of not having an I-League club, the door has opened for Karanjit to become the new number one. The Salgaocar custodian though has his work cut out as he will have a very inexperienced backline in front of him and the opposition is tough as Philippines will have their European-based attackers available while Nepal are currently full of confidence. Koevermans might well rotate and use two different keepers in each game but Karanjit should get to start at least one match and the 27-year-old must make the most of this opportunity. Karanjit also doesn’t have happy memories of playing against the Philippines having conceded twice in the defeat at the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup so he would also be seeking redemption.
Raju Gaikwad
As discussed in another article, Raju possibly doesn’t merit a place in the squad as he has had very little action for his club East Bengal in the last 18 months. But Koevermans has kept faith in the former India under-23 captain and Raju must now repay it. The central defender was always tipped to be a future star given his brilliant start to the international career two years ago but for one reason or the other Raju hasn’t moved forward and thus is in danger of not fulfilling his potential. However Koevermans and his coaching staff are willing to give him one more chance and Raju could justify that decision if he raises his game and performs in this two friendlies. Due to the lack of options, the former Arrows player could start both matches and he would be looking to be at his very best.
Lenny Rodrigues
The reigning I-League midfielder of the year became one of the first names of Koevermans’ teamsheet ever since his impressive display in the 2012 Nehru Cup. But Lenny’s form dipped at the 2013 SAFF Championship which also saw him get dropped from the starting eleven in the group game against Nepal which India lost 2-1. The 26-year-old has struggled to regain his best form even in the new season of the I-League and that has been one of the main reasons behind the poor start of defending champions Churchill Brothers. Lenny though has still kept his place in the national team and must now show why he deserves to remain a regular. The central medio was tipped to be the long-term replacement of Climax Lawrence and in order to achieve that Lenny has to be more consistent starting from these two friendlies.
Lalrindika Ralte
Very few Indian players can match the consistency of Lalrindika Ralte at club level. The Mizoram midfielder has both been scoring and creating goals for East Bengal and also recently became India’s all-time joint-top scorer in the AFC Cup. But for some reason the 21-year-old has failed to recreate that form at international level. It’s true that Lalrindika hasn’t got too many opportunities under Koevermans but it was learnt that the former Arrows midfielder was uncharacteristically poor in the friendly against Tajikistan in August and thus wasn’t picked for the SAFF Championship. Lalrindika has a couple of games now to impress Koevermans and cement his place in the senior national squad. It’s not clear where exactly he will play but irrespective of that, Lalrindika might have to make a meaningful impact to convince Koevermans that he is ready to excel at the international stage as well.
Given the India team’s over-dependency on Sunil not many gave Koevermans’ team a chance in the SAFF Championship 2013 semi-final against Maldives. But the India captain’s absence due to suspension turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the team came out of his shadow and raised their game to win 1-0. Koevermans shocked everyone by naming Sunil on the bench in the final and perhaps gave eventual winners Afghanistan a psychological boost. It remains to be seen whether the 29-year-old Arjuna Awardee starts in these two friendlies as Robin Singh’s height and physical presence makes him more suited to the lone striker role in the 4-4-1-1 system. But Sunil’s quality is unquestionable and he would be looking to show that against the Philippines and Nepal even if he has to come off the bench. So despite his impressive international record, Sunil must prove himself to Koevermans again and that can only be a positive for the Indian national team.
