Players who have made comeback into India squad ahead of AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers

India will play the all-important AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers against Singapore in October.

Khalid Jamil announced his 30-member probable squad for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers earlier on Sunday. The Indian team will start a preparatory camp in Bengaluru from September 20 for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. The probable squad has some new faces from the U23 team, and some have made a comeback into the team.

The AFC Asian Cup qualifying fixtures in October will be must-win encounters for India. The Blue Tigers have made a disappointing start to the qualifying campaign with only one point in the first two games. India drew their first game against Bangladesh, which was followed by a shameful defeat against Hong Kong.

9 U23 players called up. ✅ Sunil Chhetri returns to the fold. ✅Khalid Jamil names 30-member probable squad for the AFC Asian Cup qualifier matches against Singapore in the October FIFA International Window! #IndianFootball #IndianFootballTeam #BlueTigers pic.twitter.com/4Oxgau8xT5

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) September 14, 2025

Also Read: Khalid Jamil announces 30-member probable squad for India camp for matches against Singapore

Sunil Chhetri

Sunil Chhetri has made headlines with his comeback to the national team. Khalid Jamil has called up the Indian legend for the crucial assignment. He was unavailable for the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 after the newly appointed coach decided to try out new faces.

However, at no point did Khalid exclude Sunil from his plans. Before the team left for the CAFA Nations Cup, he made it clear that Sunil Chhetri would be a part of his plans in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. This return augurs well for the team that struggled to score goals in the CAFA Nations Cup.

Vibin Mohanan

The talented Kerala Blasters FC midfielder has been given another opportunity to don the Indian jersey. His first call-up was in May 2024 but he could not join due to personal reasons. In November 2024 he returned to the squad and came off the bench against Malaysia to make his first appearance for India.

However, the youngster could not keep his place secured, as he was not part of the team for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers against Bangladesh and Hong Kong. But after his breakthrough campaign in the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers, he is back into the national team fold, desperate to make it count this time.

Gurmeet Singh

The 25-year-old NorthEast United FC custodian is another returnee in the national team squad. Gurmeet Singh has been one of the consistent performers for his club in the last couple of seasons. He has played a major role in NorthEast United FC’s recent successes.

Gurmeet received a call-up for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers against Bangladesh and Hong Kong, but had to face an exit when the squad for the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 was announced. He is yet to make his first start for India. With Gurpreet in sublime form, it is unlikely that he will feature in the starting lineup, but his debut is definitely not a far-fetched proposition.

Macarton Louis Nickson

Here is another NorthEast United player who has made his way into the national team. Macarton Louis Nickson will be making a comeback to the national team after his impactful exploits in the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers. He received his first call-up before the AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh but was dropped from the squad in June.

In the absence of an attacking midfielder like Brandon Fernandes, it will be a great opportunity for Macarton to leave his mark. He was outstanding in the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers with his vision, game awareness, and precision passes proving to be an asset for Naushad Moosa.

Parthib Gogoi

Parthib Gogoi, unfortunately, missed out on his national team debut in 2024. He was called up in 2024 ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Kuwait and Qatar. But the highlander could not make it to the team due to injury issues.

Parthib has had an underwhelming campaign in the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers with no goals to his name. However, a major reason for that was the position where he was playing. He was tasked with the No.9 role in the absence of Suhail Bhatt, which is not his natural position. Parthib plays and excels on the wing. The 22-year-old would be hoping that he will be allowed to play in his natural position in the national team.

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