Jammu and Kashmir's Suhail Bhat earns India call-up for football friendly vs Thailand
Suhail Ahmad Bhat, a promising young forward from Jammu and Kashmir, has earned his maiden senior national team call-up as India prepares to face Thailand in an international friendly on June 4. The match will be played in Thailand as part of the Blue Tigers' build-up to the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers Final Round.The 20-year-old striker from Srinagar's Bemina area has been rewarded for his impressive season with Mohun Bagan Super Giant, where he played a crucial role in their triumphant Indian Super League (ISL) campaign.advertisementHead coach Manolo Marquez announced a 28-member squad on Wednesday, all of whom will travel to Thailand. The squad also features the return of dependable East Bengal defender Anwar Ali, who had been sidelined since February with a hamstring injury.#BlueTigers' 28-member squad for the FIFA Friendly against ThailandJune 4Thammasat Stadium, Pathum ThaniMore details https://t.co/2A5KVnyo7Y#IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/vvYe97Z3yo— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) May 28, 2025
Veteran striker Sunil Chhetri, who came out of retirement in March to help stabilise the team, also retains his place in the squad. The team has been camping in Kolkata for the past 10 days, undergoing a combination of morning gym sessions and evening on-pitch training.During the camp, India played two practice matches to fine-tune preparations. On May 26, they defeated Santosh Trophy champions Bengal 2-1, with goals from Brandon Fernandes and Ashique Kuruniyan. The following day, they secured a 3-0 victory over North 24 Parganas, with Chhetri, Chinglensana Singh, and Udanta Singh on the scoresheet.advertisementIndia are placed in Group C of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers, alongside Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The group stage will follow a home-and-away round-robin format. Their next competitive match is scheduled for June 10, when they face Hong Kong in Kowloon City.Bhat's selection continues a proud legacy of Kashmiri representation in Indian football. Midfielder Danish Farooq was the last player from the region to don the national jersey, featuring in friendlies against Bahrain and Belarus in 2022. Before him, Mehrajuddin Wadoo stood out with 31 caps between 2005 and 2011, famously scoring the winner in the 2005 SAFF Cup final against Bangladesh.Wadoo, who hails from Srinagar's Rainawari area, was also part of India's victorious campaigns in the 2007 and 2009 Nehru Cups and the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup. Other notable names include Mushir Ahmed, who debuted in 1985 against Thailand, and Abdul Majid, who captained India in three of his 33 appearances in the 1980s.The Blue Tigers are hoping to bounce back from a disappointing AFC Asian Cup 2023, where they failed to earn a single point or score a goal in group-stage matches against Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria.India squad for Thailand friendlyGoalkeepers: Hrithik Tiwari, Vishal Kaith, Gurmeet Singh, Amrinder Singh.advertisementDefenders: Naorem Roshan Singh, Rahul Bheke, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Anwar Ali, Boris Singh Thangjam, Sandesh Jhingan, Asish Rai, Subhasish Bose, Mehtab Singh, Abhishek Singh Tekcham.Midfielders: Suresh Singh Wangjam, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Udanta Singh Kumam, Lalengmawia Ralte, Liston Colaco, Ashique Kuruniyan, Brandon Fernandes, Nikhil Prabhu.Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Edmund Lalrindika, Manvir Singh, Suhail Ahmad Bhat, Lallianzuala Chhangte.Trending Reel
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