India vs Afghanistan player ratings: Valpuia, Gurpreet impress, Irfan, Ashique put up disappointing show

India have finished with four points in the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 group stage.

Indian football team finished their group stage campaign in the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 with a goalless draw against Afghanistan. The Blue Tigers could not build upon the momentum that they had after starting the tournament on a high note with a historic victory against Tajikistan.

With this result, India have four points after the three-match group stage. The Khalid Jamil-led side capped off the group stage with a win, a draw, and a loss. Now India’s fate in the tournament depends on the result of the last Group B fixture between Iran and Tajikistan.

And there goes the full-time whistle! Khalid Jamil's team played out a frustrating goalless draw against Afghanistan! Currently India are in the second spot with four points from three games! #IndianFootball #IndianFootballTeam #BlueTigers pic.twitter.com/5LClQPQbiB

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) September 4, 2025

If Iran manage to trounce Tajikistan, India will finish second, allowing them to feature in the third-place match on September 8. In this article, we will analyse individual performances and rate their outings.

Also Read: Afghanistan vs India Highlights: Follow CAFA Nations Cup 2025 Replay

India Player Ratings

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (8/10)

Gurpreet continued his form in the match against Afghanistan. His decision-making was spot on in chaotic set-piece situations. With Khalid Jamil bringing aerial verticality into the game, it is important for the goalkeeper to distribute well, and Gurpreet did that. He also made some crucial saves to keep the opposition at bay.

Anwar Ali (7.5/10)

Anwar Ali was solid in the central defense. He looked confident with the ball as ever. Anwar tried to be instinctive with his forward passes and experimented with some long balls and impactful diagonal switches as his centre-back partner Rahul Bheke.

Rahul Bheke (7/10)

After playing the first two matches as right-back, Rahul Bheke returned to his natural position. He looked a lot more comfortable playing as a centre-back. The 34-year-old defender kept it simple and put on an improved defensive display. Bheke also made some good aerial diagonal passes to find wingers on the move.

Valpuia (8/10)

Valpuia was a revelation for India. He was jittery when the game started but grew in confidence as the match progressed. Defensively, he was spot on and calmly handled the ball. The Mumbai City FC right did not look flustered and has the potential to play at this stage.

Muhammed Uvais (6.5/10)

The Indian left-back was not adventurous today. Uvais continued the good work that he did in the first two matches. The clarity in his defensive play was admirable. His no-nonsense defending kept the left side of the pitch protected for India. However, he could have ventured more into the wide areas.

Suresh Singh (6/10)

Suresh had a forgettable outing against Afghanistan. He had no impact in the midfield. The midfielder was dodgy with his passes, and his decision-making in the centre of the park made matters worse.

Nikhil Prabhu (7/10)

Nikhil Prabhu was again the best midfielder for India. The 24-year-old was brave in his tackles and did not shy away from throwing his body. One area where he can improve is his belief while going forward. He should trust his attacking instincts while making progressive passes.

Ashique Kuruniyan (4/10)

The Bengaluru FC forward had a mediocre outing in India’s last group stage fixture. His pressing was decent and forced the opposition to make mistakes on some occasions. However, the conversion and his game in the final third should have been sharper. His decision-making and game awareness were horrible

Irfan Yadwad (2/10)

The Indian No.9 could not break the underwhelming streak of form. India made a few threatening chances, but Yadwad’s presence was not effective enough to bury those chances. This was his third consecutive start, but he has not been able to produce anything substantial. Khalid Jamil should look to move on and try other options in this role.

Jithin MS (6.5/10)

Jithin’s time as a substitute in the game against Iran caught the attention, and he was expected to replicate the same against Afghanistan. However, the highlander could not show the same brilliance in his first start for India. The winger had one or two moments of brilliance but largely looked out of action and could not contribute much.

Naorem Mahesh (6.5/10)

Naorem Mahesh played in the role of a withdrawn striker. The spark was lacking in his game. One of the reasons for that could be lack of technical players around him. He wanted to bring other players into the play but could not link up well.

Substitutes

Manvir Singh Jr (5.5/10)

Manvir Singh Jr was not that impressive. He tried to outmuscle the opposition defenders but could not extract much from the game.

Vikram Partap Singh (6/10)

Vikram did what he was substituted in for. The forward showed intensity and pressed the opposition players well. He was making blazing runs and putting the Afghan defenders under pressure. After his arrival, India looked a bit more proactive.

Udanta Singh (2.5/10)

Udanta Singh could not make much difference, and he was not assured with his first touches. Given that this was the first time he came onto the pitch, he looked rusty.

Danish Farooq (6/10)

Whatever time Danish Farooq was on the pitch, he was decent. He had some good touches on the ball and used his physicality as well.

Lallianzuala Chhangte (6.5/10)

Lallianzuala Chhangte was up to par, but he would want to make more impact on the game. With the reputation that he comes these performances are not good enough.

Naorem Roshan Singh (5/10)

Naorem Roshan Singh was substituted late in the match by Khalid Jamil. He did not have much time to show his skill. However, he made a tackle or two.

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