Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to Lead India in Match Against Qatar After Chhetri’s Retirement

Kolkata: After the retirement of captain Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu will lead India in the crucial match against Qatar in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 match to be held at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on Tuesday.

Head coach of the Indian football team, Igor Stimac had named a 23-member squad to travel for the match. Apart from captain Sunil Chhetri, who retired after his last game for the country against Kuwait on Thursday, defenders Amey Ranawade, Lalchungnunga and Subhasish Bose were dropped from the team.

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who will captain Tuesday’s match is 32 years old with 72 caps. He is now the most experienced and longest-serving player in the national team after Chhetri’s retirement.