India announce 23-member squad for King’s Cup; Sunil Chhetri rested

Igor Stimac on Tuesday announced the 23-member squad for the 49th King’s Cup to be held from September 7-10, 2023 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Captain Sunil Chhetri has been given a break from national duties. Chhetri had earlier requested for a break as the dates for the tournament were close to the delivery date of his first child. India (ranked 99th) will face Iraq (ranked 70th) in the semi-final on September 7 at 16:00 IST at the 700th Anniversary Stadium. Hosts Thailand (ranked 113th) take on Lebanon (ranked 100th) in the other semi-final at 19:00 IST on the same day. The semi-final winners will contest the final on September 10, while the losers will play the third-place play-off. India won bronze when they last participated in the King’s Cup in 2019. India’s 23-member squad for the 49th King’s Cup 2023: Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Gurmeet Singh. Defenders: Asish Rai, Nikhil Poojary, Sandesh Jhingan, Anwar Ali, Mehtab Singh, Lalchungnunga, Akash Mishra, Subhasish Bose. Midfielders: Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Brandon Fernandes, Sahal Abdul Samad, Anirudh Thapa, Rohit Kumar, Ashique Kuruniyan, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte. Forwards: Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Rahul KP. Head coach: Igor Stimac.