Suhail Ahmad Bhat, a promising young striker from Jammu and Kashmir, won his first national team challenges when India is preparing for Thailand in international friendship on June 4. The match will be played in Thailand as part of the final round of AFC Asia Arabia 2027.
Srinagar’s 20 -year -old striker was rewarded for his impressive season at Mohun Bagan Super Giant, where he played a key role in their triumphant Indian Super League (ISL).
Chief coach Manolo Marquez announced a 28-member team on Wednesday, all of whom will travel to Thailand. Squad also includes a return on the reliable defender of East Bengal Anwar Ali, who has been removed since February by injuries of hamstring.
The veteran striker Sunil Chheter, who was retired in March to help stabilize the team, also retains his place in the group. The team in Calcutta has been camping for the last 10 days and undergoing a combination of morning gym and evening training on the pitch.
During the India camp, she played two training matches with gentle preparations. May 26 defeated Champions Santosh Trophy Champions Bengal 2-1, with the targets of Brandon Fernandes and Ashique Kuruniyan. The following day they secured 3-0 victories over North 24 Parganas, with Chheter, Chinglensana Singh and Udant Singh on the score.
India is located in the AFC Asian Cup 2027, along with Bangladesh, Hong Kong and Singapore. The group phase will follow the format of round robin houses. Their other competitive match is scheduled for June 10, when they face Hong Kong in Kowloon City.
Bhat’s selection continues in the proud heritage of Kashmir’s representation in Indian football. Danish Farooq midfielder was the last player in the region to perform in 2005 in 2005 and in 2005 against Bangladesh in 2022 in 2022.
Wadoo, which comes from the Srinagara Raiwari area, was also part of the Indian winning campaigns in 2007 and 2009 Nezru Cups and 2008 AFC Challenge Cup. Other remarkable names include Mushir Ahmed, who debuted in 1985 against Thailand, and Abdul Majid, who captain India in three of his 33 performances in the 80s.
The blue tigers hope to be bounce back from the disappointment of the AFC Asian Cup 2023, where they failed to get a single point or scored a goal in group matches against Australia, Uzbekistan and Syria.
Indian group for Thailand friendly
Goalkeeper: Hrithik Tiwari, Vishal Kaith, Gurmeet Singh, Amrinder Singh.
Defenders: Naoro Roshan Singh, Rahul Bheke, Chinglensana Singh KonSham, Anwar Ali, Boris Singh Thangjam, Sandesh Jhingan, Asish Rai, Subhasish Bose, Mehtab Singh, Abhishek Singh Lekcham.
Midfielders: Suresh Singh Wangjam, Mahesh Singh Naore, Ayush Dev Chrytri, Udanta Singh Kumam, Lalenengmawia Ralte, Liston Colaco, Ashique Kuruniyan, Brandon Fernandes, Nikhil Prabhu.
Forward: Sunil CHHETRI, Edmund Lalrindika, Manvir Singh, Suhail Ahmad Bhat, Lallianzala Chhangte.
Published:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
28. May 2025
