5 players who could impress for India at the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers

Akash Mishra

The 20-year-old Hyderabad FC defender is set to be a key element in India's defence. Being so young, Mishra had an array of defensive statistics as impressive as some of the ablest domestic and foreign defenders in the Indian Super League. Playing 23 games, Mishra made 52 clearances and 67 key interceptions in averting the danger away from his side, as he helped in keeping some of the most lethal attacks in the tournament at bay. The left back adds agility and pace to the team and keeps the left-wing operative. He will be a great partner for Ashique Kuruniyan who possesses enough experience to make proper use of Mishra's agility.

Anwar Ali

Returning to the football field after a severe heart condition, Anwar Ali being picked up for the national team was an affair that the fans were excited about. Minerva-trained Anwar is one of the rare found ball-playing centre-backs in the country and would be a perfect partner for Sandesh Jhingan in forming the heart of the defence. After joining FC Goa during the winter transfer window, Anwar played 10 games and maintained an average passing rate of 51.6 passes each game. Ali also made 23 clearances and 14 inceptions. His sense of defence and ball-playing abilities, along with his freekick-taking skills will prove highly beneficial for Igor Stimac's side.

Roshan Singh

The Bengaluru FC defender came into the limelight with his lethal set pieces that provided seven assists from dead-ball situations. It helped the Blues in attaining a mid-table finish in the eighth edition of the Indian Super League. The 23-year-old Indian Arrows product made 17 appearances throughout the season making about 40 important clearances and 25 interceptions. Roshan, in fact, also has a goal to his name. The defender made his way into the senior team during the Bahrain-Belarus friendlies and was one of the brightest aspects of a rather dull affair. His stout defensive abilities along with his accuracy in the dead-ball situation will add a certain advantage to the Indian side.

Sahal Abdul Samad

Often hailed as the heir to Sunil Chettri's throne, Sahal Abdul Samad bears a lot of expectations. The former AIFF Emerging player of the year is a prolific goal-scoring attacking midfielder who is absolutely unstoppable with the ball between his feet. Samad had a nervy start but went on to become Kerala Blaster's most important scorer, finding the net on the most required occasions. Samad scored six important goals for the Yellow Army and assisted one in ISL 2021-22. He, in fact, scored the final goal in India's 3-0 win against Nepal in the SAFF Finals, the goal that earned him praise from the skipper.

Liston Colaco

The 23-year-old forward has been one of the most consistent Indian players this season. Playing 20 games, Colaco found the net eight times while assisting four for ATK Mohun Bagan. In the AFC Cup, Colaco was directly involved in six goals in three games, bagging a hat-trick against Bashundhara Kings. Colaco being in the scoring form can end the attacking woes for the Blue Tigers as the Goan adds the needed agility and pace to the team, hurling continuous attacks, and testing the opponents' custodian.

As India is set to play their maiden encounter against Cambodia on June 8, a lineup featuring the agility of the aforementioned youngsters along with the experience of the older cadets in the right ratio can be the key to India's success in the camp.