BENGALURU: Amidst question marks over Sunil Chhetri's non-inclusion in the probables list of India for the upcoming CAFA Cup in Tajikistan, new India men's football team coach Khalid Jamil stated that 'he wanted to try a few other players.'
The cup being a preparatory tournament for the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers for next year is also another reason for him not taking the veteran forward on-board. "The door is always open for him. I had a talk with him about the same," he said in a release by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
India will face the hosts on August 29, followed by Iran on September 1.
The national camp began on Saturday, August 16 with 22 players, with 13 others currently fulfilling their respective club engagements in the Durand Cup.
Jamil, who is keeping an eye on the progress of the other 13 players, said, “We started the camp with some players still not available, but we’ve got the players we need to begin our preparations. The important thing is that we remain united as a team, because this will be India’s first-ever participation in the in the CAFA Nations Cup, and it will be a good opportunity for us to play stronger opponents," Jamil added.
The 41-year-old Chhetri took international retirement after playing against Kuwait in June last year but made a return for national duty in the match against Maldives in March this year following a request from Marquez to help the team in the Asian Cup qualifiers third round. Chhetri has played four matches since then and scored once -- in the 3-0 win over Maldives.