Football : AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers: India Preview 

India needs to top the four-team group to advance to next year's continental championships. The team has qualified in four Asian Cups since the tournament took off in 1956 and will try to reserve another spot for a second consecutive edition when the games begin. They had finished as runners up in 1964, which happens to be their best record in the tournament to date. The Indian side was knocked out of the group stage last year.

AFC Cup: India to clash with Cambodia 

Though India is ahead of Cambodia regarding its AFC ranking, there's no reason to be overconfident. India lost all of its three friendly matches, and the team needs to win this one to gain their confidence back. While talking about the match, Sunil Chhetri said, "I want to qualify. If I'm not there, my country will be there. So either I'll be having a beer and watching Udanta sprint, or you are having a beer and I'll be sprinting there. But we want to be there."

Right before India's match with Cambodia, Afghanistan will be playing against Hong Kong at 4.30 pm. The game shall be necessary for the Indian team to watch, as well as it'll show the form of the two teams in the qualifiers. Though Stimac has shown incredible confidence in the team and guarantees decent performance, India has not won a single international game since its win against Nepal in October 2021 is a bit worrying for the fans. 

Chhetri told the press that the team watched Cambodia's football matches to prepare themselves for the game. He said that the team must win this game, or the team would have lost half its battle. Talking of the ongoing practice, Chhetri said, "As of now, we are just thinking about Cambodia, watching as many videos as possible of them. Once we are done (with them), then we think about Afghanistan. No doubt, Afghanistan are also strong."

Igor Stimac, the coach of the Indian football team, told the press that the team is not taking any opponent lightly. He further said they are working on the team's stamina, and unlike before, now the team is ready to take on a 90-minute game. Stimac also informed the press that Rahul Bheke is injured, and his injury should heal in time to play against Afghanistan.

India At 2023 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers: Squad, Schedule, Live Streaming Details 

India will be among 24 teams competing for the final 11 spots of the tournament slated to take place next year. Before India's much-awaited Asian Cup qualifying campaign takes off, we'd like to mention all the details you should know, including the squad, schedule and streaming options. 

India Squad For 2023 AFC Asian Cup Third Round Qualifiers

India's potential march will be with a pool of 25 players team, including goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards. Captain Sunil Chhetri is ready for an active season after making a post-injury comeback in May 2022. The footballer will play alongside fellow forwards Ishan Pandita and Manvir Singh. The list of talented defenders includes Rahul Bheke, Akash Mishra, Roshan Singh, Harmanjot Singh Khabra, Anwar Ali, Subhashish Bose, Sandesh Jhingan, and Pritam Kotal. The team has midfielders like Jeakson Singh, Glan Martins, Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Deepak Tangri, Yasir Mohammad, Udanta Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad, Suresh Wangjam, Ashique Kuruniyan, and Liston Colaco. Lastly, the goalkeepers are Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Laxmikanth Kattimani, and Amrinder Singh.

India's Group At 2023 AFC Asian Cup Third Round Qualifiers

Besides India, other countries named in Group D include Afghanistan, Cambodia, and Hong Kong.

India's Schedule For 2023 AFC Asian Cup Third Round Qualifiers

Date	Fixture	Time (IST)
June 08	India vs Cambodia	08:30 PM
June 11	India vs Afghanistan	08:30 PM
June 14	India vs Hong Kong	08:30 PM

2023 AFC Asian Cup Qualification Scenario

The best team from each of the six groups will advance to the main draw of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. Elsewhere, the five best second-placed teams will join the group winners. 

2023 AFC Asian Cup Live Streaming Details

Star Network is the official broadcaster of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in India. Fans can watch the matches on Star Sports channels, while Disney+ Hotstar will provide live streaming for people opting to watch it online.