East Bengal register 53-player squad for IFA Shield 2026
East Bengal registered a 53-member squad for the IFA Shield 2026 on September 22, 2026, ahead of the tournament that begins on September 23. The squad includes both senior and reserve players and will begin East Bengal’s campaign on September 24 against Calcutta Customs FC.
The club enters the IFA Shield aiming to secure a 30th title after losing the previous edition to Mohun Bagan on penalties. East Bengal’s 53-player list has been registered for the first time to cover the competition and features a mix drawn from the Indian Super League roster and the reserve team that finished second on the final matchday points table in the Calcutta Football League 2026. Calcutta Customs were drafted into the IFA Shield to replace Mohammedan SC after the latter withdrew from the tournament.
The squad breakdown lists five goalkeepers, 17 defenders, 22 midfielders and nine forwards, with four foreign players registered. The club statement notes head coach Antonio Lopez Habas has already restricted his senior team to field in the IFA Shield 2026.
The five goalkeepers named are Phurba Lachenpa, Prabhsukhan Gill, Subrata Santra, Raunak Ghosh and Gourab Shaw. The 17 defenders included in the registration are Hardik Bhatt, Anwar Ali, Lalchungnunga, Boris Singh, Narender Gahlot, Diego Zivulic (Foreigner), Jay Gupta, Sandip Mandi, Suvo Biswas, Monotosh Chakladar, Ankan Bhattacharjee, Sonam Lokham, Bikram Pradhan, Jay Baz, Soumik Koley, Chaku Mandi and Joseph Justin.
East Bengal’s midfield contingent comprises Rohit Kumar, PV Vishnu, Chris Ikonomidis (Foreigner), Daniel Ramirez (Foreigner), Rohit Danu, Raynier Fernandes, Souvik Chakrabarti, Jeakson Singh, Th. Bipin Singh, Mohammed Asif, Ananthu N S, Arunlal M, Sanjib Ghosh, Rapgay Lepcha, Tanmay Das, Laikhuram Ricky, Fazeen Majeed, Dilip Orawn, Mohamad Basim Rashid (Foreigner), Batas Murmu, Bijay Murmu and Debayan Hazra.
The nine forwards on the list are Edmund Lalrindika, David Lalhlansanga, Jesin Tk Thonikkara, Devadath S, Uttam Hansda, Mohamed Bilal, Akash Hemram, Arghya Sarkar and Rabi Das. East Bengal have been drawn in Group B alongside Calcutta Customs FC and Punjab FC; the IFA Shield opens on September 23 with Sreenidi Deccan facing Mohun Bagan at 3 pm IST at the Mohun Bagan ground in Kolkata.
With commitments in the ISL and the ACL Two during the 2026-27 season, East Bengal say they will manage squad resources across competitions, providing an opportunity for reserve players to feature in the IFA Shield; their first match in the tournament is confirmed for September 24 against Calcutta Customs FC.