Four players who deserved an Indian national team call-up for World Cup Qualifiers

The Indian national team under Igor Stimac will look to regain their form in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

The Indian National men’s football team will return to action after almost a two-month break following their disappointing 2023 AFC Asian Cup campaign. The Blue Tigers will take a trip to face Afghanistan in the World Cup qualifiers on March 22 before returning home for the reverse fixture in Guwahati on March 26.

India will play its third and fourth match in Round 2 of the joint qualifiers of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2027 AFC Asian Cup in the upcoming international window. The Blue Tigers’ head coach Igor Stimac has already released a list of 35 probables for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

While the list consists of a few faces, it also misses out on the players who deserved a chance but didn’t get call-up.

Danish Farooq

Danish Farooq has become an influential figure in the Kerala Blasters squad for his maturity and impressive display both on and off the field. The midfielder has stepped up and shouldered key responsibilities of the team during the absence of senior players and has done extremely well for the Blasters. He has scored two goals and has also provided an assist for the Kochi-based side while making a major overall impact on the team.

Prabhsukhan Gill

The Goalkeeper certainly deserved a call-up into the national team for his consistent run of performances over the last couple of years. Gill ranks fourth in the list of the best goalkeepers this season with seven clean sheets to his game. His tally of 18 clean sheets in the last three seasons speaks volumes about his consistency under the bar. The East Bengal goalkeeper certainly had a case for a national team call-up given the way he has been performing.

Laldinpuia

The uncapped defender has slowly risen to prominence in the heart of Jamshedpur FC’s backline. He has improved leaps and bounds under the tutelage of Khalid Jamil and will only get better in the games to come. Laldinpuia is solid like a rock at the back and has helped his side keep five clean sheets in the process. He is an excellent controller of the ball and averages 33 passes per game with an accuracy of close to 80%.

Mohammad Yasir

Mohammad Yasir missed out on a national team call-up yet again. The young midfielder has moved to a new club but the result hasn’t changed at all. He is one of the best-performing Indian players this season having scored three goals and creating two for two different clubs this season. His creativity and trickery could have been very beneficial for the Blue Tigers as they gear up for the Afghanistan clash.

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