Five players recalled to India squad for New Zealand friendlies
Khalid Jamil has named a 23-man India squad for two friendlies against New Zealand, to be played in Auckland on 12th November and Christchurch on 15th November, with five notable players returning to the roster for the tour.
India come into the New Zealand fixtures after an international break that produced a 1-1 draw with Panama and defeats to Brazil and Uruguay; Jamil, who replaced Manolo Marquez, made a set of changes to his squad and has recalled goalkeeper Vishal Kaith while dropping Bengaluru FC’s Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Kaith has made 16 saves in five league games in the ISL 2026-27 season, won the Man of the Match award in Mohun Bagan’s 1-0 win over Chennaiyin FC where he made six big saves and kept a clean sheet, and is a two-time ISL glove winner.
Jithin MS, 28, is back after an encouraging start to the ISL 2026-27 campaign, with 2 goals and 1 assist in five games; he has had a total of six shots on target and has created eight chances in five league games so far. Jithin has made four appearances for the Indian national football team, with his last coming in the penalty win over Oman in the CAFA Nations Cup 2025.
Lalremtluanga Fanai returns after being out of the national picture; the Bengaluru FC midfielder started all four games for his club in ISL 2026-27 and produced an assist, winning 16 duels and making 22 contributions. He made his Indian national team debut on 18th November 2025, playing the final few minutes of the match against Bangladesh in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, where India lost 1-0, and last represented India in March 2026 when the Blue Tigers beat Hong Kong 2-1 in Kochi. With Apuia not picked in the squad due to an injury, Fanai has an opportunity to push for a place in the starting XI.
Liston Colaco has been recalled after an ISL start that yielded one assist in five games; he will compete for the left-wing slot with Ashique Kuruniyan, who started all the games for India in the last international break. The selectors expect the Mohun Bagan player to be a substitute option, at least for the first friendly against New Zealand.
Roshan Singh is included in the 23-man group despite having started just one game in the ISL 2026-27 season; the left-back has already played 17 games for the Indian national team, with his last appearance coming against Jamaica in May 2026. With Akash Mishra having cemented his place in the starting XI, Roshan’s playing time under Jamil will depend on selection choices for the tour.
Though he has yet to make his official India debut, David was part of the Indian squad that lost 2-1 to Qatar in June 2024 and arrives having scored twice for East Bengal in the AFC Champions League Two match against Al Shorta, a performance that strengthens his case for a first cap.
The 23-man squad will travel to New Zealand for the friendlies on 12th November in Auckland and 15th November in Christchurch, providing the recalled players a chance to stake claims for places in Khalid Jamil’s plans for upcoming fixtures.