New faces called up to Indian football team ahead of November FIFA window

The Indian football team will play against Bangladesh on November 18.

Khalid Jamil announced his 23-member probable squad for the final round match of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers on Wednesday, November 5, 2025.

The Indian football team will start a preparatory camp in Bengaluru from Thursday, November 6. They will travel to Dhaka on November 15 to play Bangladesh at the National Stadium in Dhaka, in their AFC Asian Cup 2027 Final Round Qualifiers match on November 18.

Among the probables, Mohammed Sanan, who was earlier called up for the U23 Squad, will be joining the senior team instead, and some have made a comeback into the team. But Sunil Chhetri has been left out.

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The Blue Tigers are already out of the Asian Cup Qualifiers 2027 after suffering a humiliating defeat against Singapore in their last match on home soil. Previously, they drew against Bangladesh in the home fixture, so Khalid Jamil and his team would like to win this time and end their campaign on a positive note.

On that note, let’s take a look at the list of players who are returning to the Indian football team ahead of the November FIFA window.

Hrithik Tiwari

FC Goa‘s young goalkeeper, Hrithik Tiwari, has been recalled to the squad along with Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Sahil Poonia. Hrithik has now become a regular name for FC Goa, be it ISL, Super Cup, or ACL matches.

He performed really well recently with several clean sheets in Super Cup group matches and ACL matches. Khalid Jamil has included him in the team and given him this place due to his consistency under the goal post.

Sahil Poonia

Another U23 goalkeeper, Sahil Poonia, also gets a call-up in the probable squad along with veteran Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and young Hrithik Tiwari. Sahil plays for Bengaluru FC.

The talented young goalkeeper played only one match for BFC so far. He has shown a lot of promise in his last 4 appearances for the U23 Indian side under Naushad Moosa recently. This will be a good opportunity for young Sahil to train with the senior team and participate in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.

Brison Fernandes

Brison Fernandes, the 24-year-old winger from FC Goa, gets a call-up to the senior team. Local boy from South Goa, Brison, became the first Indian to score in the AFC Champions League 2 for FC Goa against Al Nassr last month in their home fixture.

His goal against Al Nassr was more than just a goal; it was the tale of a youngster from a little South Goan village who dared to dream, as well as a moment of pride and faith. Under Khalid Jamil, he would like to score more such screamers.

Lalremtluanga Fanai

Lalremtluanga Fanai, a young winger from Bengaluru FC, gets a call-up for the senior National team. Fanai, hailing from the north eastern region of India, has shown a lot of promise in the winger position, which has earned him a spot in the Senior team under Khalid Jamil.

He was also part of the 29-member probable U23 squad of the Indian team under Naushad Moosa that played two friendlies in Tajikistan in June this year.

Mohammed Sanan

Mohammed Sanan Kundoyi gets a call-up in the senior team of the 23-member probable squad by head coach Khalid Jamil, who will play against Bangladesh in the last round of the Asian Cup Qualifiers 2027 match in November. He was named earlier in the U23 squad by Naushad Moosa, but the young striker from Jamshedpur FC has played under Khalid Jamil last season in ISL and showed a lot of promise and continuous growth.

The Khalid-Sanan duo will be something to watch out for in the upcoming days. He will be an asset to this team who can score clutch goals as well as produce assists during crucial times.

Hopefully, with this squad, the Blue Tigers will end their Asian Cup Qualifiers Campaign on a positive note under Khalid Jamil.

Ryan Williams 

The 31-year-old Bengaluru FC winger Ryan Williams is set to join the Indian National Football team camp in the upcoming days ahead of their AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers match against Bangladesh. The news was confirmed by the All India Federation on Thursday, November 6, after Williams received the Indian Passport, which he had applied for.

He is currently in the last steps of obtaining Football Australia’s NOC clearance, which takes roughly ten days. Following the completion of the processing, the winger will report to the Bengaluru camp.

Ryan’s mother, who was born into an Anglo-Indian family in Mumbai, is the source of his Indian heritage. Before joining Bengaluru FC in 2023, the winger played for teams like Fulham and Portsmouth, giving him plenty of professional football experience.

Williams can undoubtedly fill in the gaps in the Blue Tigers’ difficulty in the final third and give the attack more bite now that Sunil Chhetri is out of the lineup.

However, Ryan Williams’ name was not in the initial list of the probables announced by the AIFF earlier this week.

List of probables for Blue Tigers’ squad for November FIFA Window:

Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Hrithik Tiwari, Sahil.

Defenders: Akash Mishra, Anwar Ali, Bikash Yumnam, Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Muhammed Uvais, Pramveer, Rahul Bheke, Sandesh Jhingan, Jay Gupta.

Midfielders: Ashique Kuruniyan, Brison Fernandes, Lalremtluanga Fanai, Macarton Louis Nickson, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Nikhil Prabhu, Suresh Singh Wangjam.

Forwards: Irfan Yadwad, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Mohammed Sanan, Rahim Ali, Vikram Partap Singh, Ryan Williams, Edmund Lalrindika.

Head coach: Khalid Jamil

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