Top five players who were dropped from Khalid Jamil's India squad

Khalid Jamil picked a surprising squad for India’s camp ahead of the CAFA Nations Cup 2025.

The squad for the Indian Football Team for the upcoming CAFA Nations Cup 2025 was announced on Friday, August 15. Heralding the dawn of a new era, India’s new head coach, Khalid Jamil, named 35 probables ahead of the CAFA Nations Cup, which kicks off on the 29th of this month.

The senior men’s team will lock horns against Tajikistan (August 29), Iran (September 1) and Afghanistan (September 4) in the Group B fixtures, to be held at Hisor, Tajikistan. The announcement has sparked discussions as the new squad has seen a platter of both surprising additions and key omissions with it.

Here we look at five such key players, who did not make it into the final list of the Team India probables for the preparatory camp of the CAFA Nations Cup.

5. Brandon Fernandes

Brandon Fernandes displayed a solid form in the ISL 2024-25 season, which made the player a regular call-up under the Manolo Marquez reign. However, Brandon sustained an injury in March earlier this year in a friendly match against the Maldives ahead of the crucial clash against Bangladesh in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.

Since then, though Brandon was called up for the National team in the upcoming camps, he has barely got some minutes on the pitch and has not been in his best form either, which paved the way for Khalid to try out different variations in the midfield and land on one that perfectly suits the restructured Indian Team.

Also Read: No Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet back as Indian football team camp begins under Khalid Jamil

4. Gurmeet Singh

The NorthEast United FC guardian, who has been a part of a couple of India’s past camps, has not received a nod from Khalid Jamil this time. Gurmeet has had one of the best seasons of his career after making a move from Hyderabad FC to NorthEast United, where he has firmly established himself as the first-choice keeper. starting in almost all the matches and guarding the goal efficiently.

In spite of his consistent performance, Gurmeet was not a part of the 35 probables, as fresh blood of goalkeepers, including Albino Gomez, Hrithik Tiwari, and the experienced Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who have had a relatively solid track record, have taken his spot.

Putting in the hard yards! 💪 Khalid Jamil’s men continue preparations for the CAFA Nations Cup⚽🇮🇳#IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/P3UkFEHLi9

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) August 17, 2025

3. Asish Rai

Asish Rai was an integral part of the ISL League double-winning Mohun Bagan side in the recent edition of the ISL. With solidarity in defence, coupled with the contributions made to strengthen the attack from the right wing, Asish has quickly become the fan favourite and a nightmare for the opponents.

As a replacement for Asish, players like Rahul Bheke and Roshan Singh, who have displayed their potential and impressed the manager, have been recalled to the senior team, hinting at a shift in the gaffer’s strategy, leaving Asish Rai to fight back to regain his position.

2. Subhasish Bose

The absence of the seasoned defender, Subhasish Bose, had left many fans perplexed. With tons of experience both at the national level and club level, he is one of the finest defenders for India in the modern game, who is probably at his peak performance right now.

Despite his stellar performance in the club level, winning the league double with Mohun Bagan and being named the AIFF Men’s Player of the Year, this decision of Khalid Jamil is puzzling. Beyond his presence in the defence, Bose has also proved his offensive flair by scoring goals and assisting them, making him a potent threat to opponents.

The gaffer has opted for new faces like Alex Saji, Sunil Benchamin and Akash Mishra, who returns to the national team after a long gap. With the new cohort of backline, it would be interesting to see where the new Indian team is heading.

1. Sunil Chhetri

One of the biggest shocks for the Indian Football followers is the absence of the iconic and unparalleled legend, Sunil Chhetri. Having returned from retirement earlier this year, the 41-year-old has not been included in the list of probables for India’s squad in the CAFA Nations Cup, sparking widespread speculation.

Khalid Jamil has finally revealed the reason behind Sunil Chhetri's absence from the training camp squad ahead of the CAFA Nations Cup 2025! #IndianFootball #IndianFootballTeam #BlueTigers pic.twitter.com/PWa9MlSoW8

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) August 17, 2025

This decision is a serious shift in the direction for the Indian team, reaffirming Khalid Jamil’s emphasis on long-term player development and constructing the team for the long haul, not necessarily short-term accomplishments.

With a new crop of upcoming generational talents like Irfan Yadwad, Vikram Partap Singh, Rahul KP, Rahim Ali and others, a new-look Indian team is set to be fielded, leaving behind the Sunil Chhetri led golden era of Indian Football.

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