India Names Men's National Team Squad for New Zealand Friendlies

India's men's national team head coach Khalid Jamil announced the 23-player squad for the two friendlies against New Zealand during the November FIFA International Match Window on Friday, November 6.

The matches are scheduled for November 12 at the Go Media Stadium in Auckland and November 15 at the One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch, according to the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

Three players named in Naushad Moosa's SAFF Championship 2026 squad—Bijoy Varghese, Muhammad Suhail, and Liston Colaco—will join Jamil's team instead of continuing in the tournament in Dhaka.

Farukh Choudhary, Noufal PN, and Hmingthanmawia Ralte have been released from the SAFF Championship squad and will return to their club, Mumbai City FC. Ronney Kharbudon will not travel to Dhaka due to an injury.

The New Zealand-bound squad will assemble in Bengaluru on Saturday, November 7, with a training session on Sunday before departing for Auckland later that night.

Head coach Khalid Jamil said, 'New Zealand are also a World Cup-playing nation and a strong opponent, and these two matches will be a good test for us away from home. We want to prepare well, play with discipline and use this opportunity to improve as a team.'