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After a disappointing end to the King's Cup in Thailand, the Indian men's national team are gearing up for the 2023 Asian Games, where they will face China in their first game of the tournament.
This marks their return to the Asian Games after nine years. Following a period of confusion and chaos surrounding squad selection, there are two experienced players on the roster, Sunil Chhetri and Sandesh Jhingan, along with a handful of players who have played for the senior team including Chinglensana Singh, Rahim Ali, and Lalchungnunga.
However, there were concerns arising from the late arrival of the 20-man squad in China, which raised doubts about the team's fitness levels.
Despite the limited training sessions, head coach Igor Stimac has chosen to start the senior players, including Chhetri and Jhingan. The lineup against China also features several debutants including Ayush Chhetri, Gurmeet Singh, Bryce Miranda, and Abdul Rabeeh.
This certainly comes as a surprise, as Stimac hinted that he could rest players to prioritize the games against Bangladesh and Myanmar scheduled on September 21 and 24, respectively, given his team had little to no preparation for the opening game.
But he also revealed that the Asian Games is a competition that offers youngsters the chance to perform at the highest level for the country.
"Those players who are not primarily on the list in the team have a great opportunity in front of them,"tStimac said. "It’s a great challenge for them to prove themselves, to achieve their dreams, and to prove that they deserve better opportunities in the ISL and in their clubs," Stimac said.
In addition to this, a few of the players including Aniket Jadhav, Narender Gahlot, and Chinglensana Singh, arrived in China later than expected and were reported to sit out for the initial game.
Despite the challenging circumstances and the team's relative lack of experience, the Blue Tigers undeniably have the quality to create problems for their opponents.
The onus will primarily fall on Chhetri and Jhingan to guide the side and secure a positive result.
India vs China: India’s starting XI for the 2023 Asian Games clash
India's starting lineup: Gurmeet Singh (GK), Lalchungnunga, Sandesh Jhingan, Sumit Rathi, Ayush Chhetri, Amarjit Singh, Rahim Ali, Rahul KP, Bryce Miranda, Abdul Rabeeh, Sunil Chhetri (C).
Substitutes: Vishal Yadav, Samuel Kynshi, Vincy Barretto, Rohit Danu, Dheeraj Singh, Afzar Noorani.
