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India will kickstart their 2020 AFC U-23 Qualifiers campaign against Tajikistan on 22 March 2019 at Uzbekistan. It will be followed by matches against the hosts two days later and arch-rivals Pakistan on 26th March.
To qualify for the main tournament in Thailand, India needs to top their Group F or pray that other second-placed teams perform badly so that the Blue Tigers can qualify as one of the four best second-placed teams from the 11 groups.
In the previous edition of the AFC U-23 Qualifiers, India finished third in the group behind Qatar and Syria. Their only solace in the tournament was a 3-1 win over Turkmenistan after losing 0-2 and 0-1 to Qatar and Syria respectively.
In the 2016 edition of the tournament, India couldn't even defeat Bangladesh before succumbing to Syria and Uzbekistan. Needless to say, the 103rd ranked nation hasn't been able to qualify for the main edition of the tournament since its inception in 2013.
However, this time India do have a realistic chance to make it through. However, they need to line-up their team properly and get their tactics right. On that note, here is how Sportskeeda thinks India should line-up at the 2020 AFC U-23 Championships Qualifiers.
Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem (Kerala Blasters FC)
Pipping Mohammad Nawaz for a spot in the line-up is India's U-17 World Cup hero Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem.
The Kerala Blasters FC goalkeeper even had a three-month trial with Scottish giants Motherwell but, the negotiations broke down as he couldn't sign a contract unless he turned 18.
In the ongoing 2018-19 season, he made 25 saves and 42 catches in 10 matches while playing in the ISL.
Although the 18-year-old has let in 16 goals, much of has to do that with Kerala Blasters' porous and fragile defence.
For his heroics under the bar, he has already won one 'Hero of the Match' and four 'Emerging Player of the Match.'
What separates Dheeraj from other Nawaz and other goalkeepers, including the senior ones, is his ability to give pinpoint long throws.
To the surprise of many, Kerala Blasters haven't made use of it in the ongoing ISL. However, if India decides to play a counter-attacking game, his ball distribution would come extremely handy.
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Anwar Ali (Indian Arrows)
The first Indian Arrows player to make it to our list is 18-year-old Anwar Ali. The Minerva Punjab youth academy product was a vital cog in India's defense at the U-17 World Cup and has grown leaps and bounds while playing in the I-League.
Gaurav Bora (Chennai City FC)
Growing from the ranks of FC Pune City academy and its B team is our next defender Gaurav Bora.
The 20-year-old started out as a defensive midfielder but quickly shifted in the heart of the defense to partner Roberto Eslava.
Speaking to Sportskeeda, he mentioned that he is working hard to get a national team call-up. However, he should first make the cut for the U-23 team and, we believe he is ready for it.
Nishu Kumar (Bengaluru FC)
Nishu Kumar was unlucky not to make it to the final AFC Asian Cup 2019 squad as an injury derailed him. The 21-year-old scored in his debut for India against Jordan when he connected Germanpreet Singh's cross.
Having 28 tackles, 14 interceptions, 38 clearances, and 14 blocks to his name in 13 matches, Nishu should provide solidarity while defending in the wings.
Sarthak Golui (FC Pune City)
Sarthak Golui was a part of the India squad that traveled to Bangladesh to participate in the 2018 SAFF Championships.
He was eventually selected for the Indian squad at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup but couldn't make a single appearance.
The 21-year-old has 11 tackles and interceptions, 56 clearances, and 19 blocks in the 7 matches he has played.
Against Chennaiyin FC, FC Pune City deployed a three-man back line, meaning Sarthak Golui had to cover a wider area. However, he lived up to the task.
Anirudh Thapa (Chennaiyin FC) (Captain)
Anirudh Thapa might be having a horrendous season with defending champions Chennaiyin FC in the ISL, but when it comes to representing his nation, he seldom backfires.
In the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, his vision and pace troubled the opposition and his absence in the starting lineup against Bahrain ended India's journey in the continental extravaganza.
Given his exploits in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and the fact that he made 17 appearances for the senior team and scored one goal, he should be trusted with the captain's armband.
Deepak Tangri (Indian Arrows)
Defensive midfielders are the unsung heroes of any team and for Indian Arrows in the I-League, it is Deepak Tangri.
The 20-year-old slots just in front of the back four to prevent the opposition from exploiting the hole and getting leverage in the midfield.
Having also played as a left back in a couple of matches, Tangri can cover up as a full-back in case they press forward to score goals.
Sahal Abdul Samad (Kerala Blasters FC)
Kerala Blasters FC's revelation for this ISL season is the 21-year-old Sahal Abdul Samad. His ability to hold on to the ball even in dire circumstances and a quick burst of pace and long-range vision can come handy for India.
He did make the 28-member cut for the Indian team in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup but failed to earn his place in the final 23-member squad.
Sahal Abdul Samad must be waiting impatiently to get a feel of the national colors and, he should be rewarded with a spot in the 2020 AFC U-23 Championships Qualifiers.
Ashique Kuruniyan (FC Pune City)
Next up for India is FC Pune City's Ashique Kuruniyan. Having trained with Villareal CF 'C' squad in Spain, the youngster returned to India and has been in terrific form since then.
In the ongoing 2018-19 season, Ashique scored a goal and gave 2 assists in the 1006 minutes he has been on the pitch. Moreover, he has 40 crosses and 16 shots to his name in the aforementioned time period.
His trickery and pace down either side of the wings troubled UAE and Thailand in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Given that only players born on or after 1 January 1997 will be a part of the tournament, Ashique should tap his potential to the fullest in the Qualifiers.
Lallianzuala Chhangte (Delhi Dynamos)
Lallianzuala Chhangte was a surprise name omitted from the final 23 member squad that represented India in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
Having trained with the youth team of Liverpool for a month, the 21-year-old has started his trials with Norwegian top division club Vikings FK.
For Delhi Dynamos in the ISL, he has already scored four goals and bagged one assist in 15 matches he has been a part of. Moreover, his 25 shots and staggering 63 crosses speak volumes about his influence in the attacking half of the pitch.
Rohit Danu (Indian Arrows)
Rohit Danu will be only 16 years and 255 days old when India will cross swords with Tajikistan. However, one shouldn't underestimate his goalscoring prowess as Rohit has already netted in three goals in the 402 minutes he has been on the pitch.
Although he has started only three games and came on from the bench in the rest seven times, there isn't many striking options for the Blue Tigers apart from him.
Others like Phrangki Baum, Daniel Lalhimpuia, Samuel Kynshi, and Naorem Mahesh Singh have clocked more time on the field and hasn't been that much of a help.
Rather than forcing someone like Komal Thatal or Shubham Sarangi in unfamiliar territory, Rohit Danu should lead the line despite his tender age.
What should be the tactic with this line-up?
Whether you like it or not, the counter-attacking tactic has worked wonderfully for India in the recent across all age group formats.
India hit the crossbar a couple of times in the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, reached the quarter-finals of the 2018 AFC U-16 Championships, and obliterated Thailand in the opening game of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
However, the loss against Bahrain also reminded us that lobbing meaningless long balls in the air won't be of any help. So, if there is a proper plan to counter-attack, then India can qualify for the main edition of the tournament.
Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem's long throws can be immensely helpful in this case. Against Thailand and UAE, Gurpreet and Pritam Kotal had to kick the ball high in the air and the strikers had to press forward to win throw-ins in the opposition half.
However, Dheeraj's throws are easy to control and Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Lallianzuala Chhangte, and Ashique Kuruniyan's pace should help the team.
Both the wingers, Lallianzuala Chhangte and Ashique Kuruniyan, are comfortable playing on either side of the wings.
Thus, they can exchange their positions and confuse the defenders. Rohit Danu isn't that sort of striker that can score goals single-handedly. The 16-year-old will not miss sitters and if Thapa, Sahal, and the wingers can create opportunities for him, he will not hesitate to punish them.
Deepak Tangri will play as a screen just in front of the defenders, allowing Sahal Abdul Samad and Anirudh Thapa to venture forward. He can also assist the fullbacks in case the oppositions overload one wing.
The fullbacks shouldn't overlap unless the team is behind. India has leaked in a lot of goals in the previous editions of the tournament and, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan can punish the back-four, which looks the weakest of the lot in the paper.
Fatigue should be a major concern for the team as India would play three matches in a span of six days.
Ashique Kuruniyan, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Anirudh Thapa, and Sahal Abdul Samad's positions, in particular, require a lot of pace and, there is no way either of them could play full 270 minutes in such a high tempo.
Hence, the coach should wisely use his substitutions. Amarjit Singh Kiyam (Central Attacking Midfielder), Komal Thatal (Left Wing), and Boris Singh (Right Wing) should be brought in so that the team doesn't lose the attacking intent in the later stages of the game.
Do you agree with our line-up? Do let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
