Five underperforming players selected for India's friendlies against Panama, Brazil & Uruguay
The Blue Tigers face Panama on September 25.
The Indian men’s national team are all set to play 3 International friendlies against higher ranked FIFA World Cup playing nations. As the Blue Tigers are all set to play Brazil, Panama and Uruguay in the September-October international break, Khalid Jamil announced his 26-player squad on 31st August 2026. In his 26-player squad, the head coach made some questionable decisions.
The 3 matches will be able to provide the Indian team with higher levels of competition than what the team is used to. If India are able to defeat or even draw with either Brazil, Panama or Uruguay, the Blue Tigers could see a rise in their FIFA Rankings, which would help them for their next World Cup qualifications. Which means that, bringing the best becomes not just an obligation, but the only way of success.
Despite the stakes of the matches, Khalid Jamil made some questionable choices when it came to picking his 26-player squad.
In this article, we take a look at five underperforming players that have been called up for the Indian camp.
Vikram Partap Singh
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Vikram has been a staple in the Indian team for a long while now. He has made 14 appearances for the Blue Tigers yet has only been able to score 1 goal.
His goal came in the most recent match that the team played against Tajikistan (which ended in a 1-1 draw). Despite being a very prevalent name in Khalid Jamil’s side, his performances have been nothing short of underwhelming. Despite having great positioning skills, pressing skills and stamina, he has been unable to convert the chances that he gets for both his club and country.
In the last two seasons for Mumbai City FC, he has made over 40 appearances and yet has only been able to score 4 goals and provide 1 assist.
Ashique Kuruniyan
Ashique Kuruniyan has represented The Blue Tigers since 2018. He has made over 40 appearances for the national team, while only having scored only 2 goals.
His call up comes as a surprise to most considering other senior players in previous squads (like Sandesh Jhinghan, Rahul Bheke, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Jeakson Singh and Vishal Kaith) were not selected even as backups for the team.
In his last two seasons playing for Bengaluru FC, Ashique has made over 30 appearances, while having found the net and having provided assists only thrice.
Read More: Top 7 Indian youngsters who deserved call-up for Panama, Brazil & Uruguay friendlies
Farukh Choudhary
Farukh Choudhary has been a veteran for the Blue Tigers. Having made his debut in 2018, he has managed to make only 24 appearances for the team.
His 2025-26 season in the ISL and AIFF Super Cup was unimpressive with Chennaiyin FC. Farukh made 12 appearances out of which he only found the net once and gave his only assist against Odisha FC.
His previous year statistics are no better as he made 22 appearances in the 24-25 season where he only managed to score two times and assisted only once.
Rahim Ali
Rahim Ali has been playing for the Blue Tigers since 2021. He has made 21 appearances in which he has scored only 1 goal. Under Khalid Jamil, Rahim Ali is used more as a forward who holds the ball during offensive transitions during counter attacks.
In his last 2 seasons for his club Odisha FC, Rahim Ali has been able to make 34 appearances, score only 5 goals and provide only 2 assists. Rahim Ali has been played on different sides of the pitch under Khalid Jamil, but has not been able to make any meaningful differences for the team.
Irfan Yadwad
Irfan Yadwad’s selection has been a huge talking point in the squad selected for the international break. Irfan Yadwad has made only 7 appearances for the national team so far. Despite the lack of matches played at the international level, he has never been able to prove his total and complete worth in the Indian football team.
Even for his ISL team (Chennaiyin FC), in the last two seasons, he has made over 40 appearances, scored 7 goals and assisted only 4 times.
His performances for the National team have been nothing short of disappointing. His inclusion in the team is at the cost of other players like Lallianzuala Chhangte and Noufal P.N.
When will India play Brazil, Panama and Uruguay?
India will play Panama on 25th September, Brazil on 3rd October and Uruguay on 6th October.
Who is the head coach of the Indian Football Team?
Khalid Jamil is the head coach of the Indian National Football Team.
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