FIFA World Cup qualifiers: Key players in India vs Bangladesh clash

The Indian football team will be eyeing their first victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers as they host Bangladesh on Tuesday. The match will be held at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. India are currently fourth in Group E losing their first game to Oman and then holding Asian Champions Qatar to a goalless draw. India and Bangladesh have met each other on 28 occasions, in which the Blue Tigers have emerged victories in 15 games while Bangladesh has won only a couple of games.

Also read: FIFA World Cup Qualifier: India Announce 23-man Final Squad

Ind vs Ban: Key players for India in the upcoming game against Bangladesh

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu

The custodian was one of the reasons why India managed to hold Asian champions Qatar to a goalless draw in the last fixture. The Bengaluru FC star made some incredible saves to deny Qatar an opportunity to score in spite of having more shots on goal. The 27-year-old will be key to India securing their maiden win in the group.

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Anas Edathodika

The 32-year-old central defender came out of retirement to add some steel to India’s leaky defence. With Sandesh Jhingan out of six months due to ACL tear on the left knee Anas is likely to pair up with Adil Khan in front of Sandhu. Jhingan's injury gives Anas with a perfect opportunity to prove himself again and also cement his place in the national side.

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Sahal Abdul Samad

The youngster from Kerala has thrived well under India’s new coach Croatian Igor Stimac. The Croatian’s expansive style of game which lays emphasis on possession-based football has worked well for Sahal, who is a good passer of the ball. The 22-year-old along with Anirudh Thapa will be looking to unlock Bangladesh defence.

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Ashique Kuruniyan

The 22-year-old winger who plays alongside Chettri for Bengaluru FC in Indian Super League (ISL) will look to supply crosses for his skipper to score goals in the match. Kuruniyan is one of the few Indian players to have garnered some European experience in his football career, having represented the Villarreal ‘C’ team in the past. His skills and versatility to play anywhere in the forward line makes him a valuable asset to the Indian team, something Stimac and Co. will be looking to make good use of.

Sunil Chettri

India’s all-time leading goal scorer missed team's last match against Asian Champion Qatar. The skipper will be expected to find the back of the net now that he will be ready to feature for the Blue Tigers against Bangladesh. Chettri has been in solid form, scoring in the previous game against Oman and was also India’s leading scorer in the Intercontinental Cup in July.