Newly-appointed Indian football team head coach Khalid Jamil on Sunday clarified the absence of legendary striker Sunil Chhetri from the list of 35 probables for the CAFA Nations Cup 2025, starting from August 29 in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
India began their preparatory camp in Bengaluru on August 16 ahead of their debut in the tournament organised by the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA). The Blue Tigers are in Group B with Tajikistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Afghanistan.
Jamil, who became the first Indian to coach the men’s national team since Savio Medeira in 2011-12, stressed that Chhetri’s omission was a tactical move rather than a permanent exclusion.
“Sunil is a legend of Indian football. I have played against him, I’ve seen him play on numerous occasions, and he is one of my favourite players,” Jamil said. “He is a role model for Indian football, and the door is always open for him.”
The 48-year-old Indian football coach explained that the CAFA Nations Cup will serve as a platform to test other players before India face Singapore in the AFC Asian Cup Final Round Qualifiers in October.
“He’s not there in this camp because we are playing a tournament which will essentially serve as a preparation for our Asian Cup Qualifiers,” Jamil noted.
“I also want to try out a few other players during this FIFA window. I had a talk with him about the same. It’s always a pleasure to have a player like him in the team.”