Top five players missing from Indian football team ahead of upcoming friendlies against New Zealand
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has not been picked by Khalid Jamil!
The Indian football team is gearing up to face New Zealand in the upcoming international break. Khalid Jamil will be taking a 23-man squad down under to play the FIFA World Cup 2026 participants in two friendly games.
Given that the SAFF Championship 2026 is also being played in the same window, quite a few new names have been granted a chance to represent the Blue Tigers across the two squads. However, here are five big names that have been excluded from both Indian squads.
1. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
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Gurpreet Singh Sandhu wore the captain’s armband vs Uruguay (Courtesy: AIFF)
The Bengaluru FC shot stopper had started for India against Panama, Brazil, and Uruguay in the last international break. It can be argued that Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was not at his best across the three games; however, it was a surprise that Gurpreet was not picked up in the squad at all to travel Down Under.
Khalid Jamil has preferred the 34-year-old as his first-choice keeper since being appointed head coach, starting Gurpreet in all the games since.
Interestingly, Prabhsukhan Gill and Albino Gomes, who made cameos against Brazil and Uruguay, have also not been called up for the games against New Zealand.
2. Anwar Ali
Unlike Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Anwar Ali has not been dropped from the Indian squad. Rather, the East Bengal centre-back was not selected as he picked up an injury in the 2-0 loss to Al-Seeb while playing in the AFC Champions League Two on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old has shown virtue beyond his age while playing for India. Anwar Ali has arguably become the main man in India’s defence, and the defender rose to the challenge, making 15 defensive contributions against Brazil and Uruguay alone.
His countrymen are certainly hoping that the defender makes a quick and full recovery for the long run.
3. Sandesh Jhingan
With Anwar Ali out injured, it was a surprise that Khalid Jamil didn’t recall Sandesh Jhingan back into the Indian national team setup.
The FC Goa captain has been at the top of his game for the Gaurs, winning 20 duels and making 27 defensive contributions in 4 ISL games in the 2026-27 season.
Jhingan was the beacon of India’s defence over the last decade with 77 appearances for the Blue Tigers. The 33-year-old still has age on his side, and his experience could have helped the Indian team as they go up against tough opposition in New Zealand.
4. Sahal Abdul Samad
The 29-year-old is another big name that has not been called up to the Indian setup ahead of the match against New Zealand. Sahal Abdul Samad is one of India’s most creative players in the midfield.
He played all three games in the last international break, and his best arguably came against Brazil.
Sahal has played just 127 games across four ISL games this season. He has created 6 chances across the games and has made 9 recoveries for his club.
A lack of game time at the club level for Sahal and the emergence of Lalrinliana Hnamte have resulted in the Mohun Bagan player being sidelined for now.
5. Lalengmawia Ralte (Apuia)
Another big name who will not be featuring against New Zealand is none other than Apuia. The Mohun Bagan midfielder had an assist to his name in the 2-1 win against SC Delhi; however, he has since not featured for his club due to an injury.
The 26-year-old has a lot of quality, and if he keeps himself fit, expect Apuia to walk back into the Indian setup in the next set of matches in March.
Special mention – Mohammed Sanan
The 22-year-old featured for India in the last international window; however, he has not been picked up this time around. Sanan joined Kerala Blasters over the summer, but he is yet to hit top gear.
Expect Khalid Jamil to keep a keen eye on the youngster’s performances over the next few months.
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