Hamza Choudhury is set to make his debut in Bangladesh’s red and green jersey as the Bengal Tigers face India after four years in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.
The match will take place at 7:30pm Tuesday (Bangladesh Standard Time) in Shillong, Meghalaya, India.
This encounter marks a significant moment for Bangladesh, with Leicester City’s midfielder Hamza making his first appearance for the national team.
On the other hand, India’s record goalscorer and former captain Sunil Chhetri came out of retirement to play for the country against the Maldives and Bangladesh.
As a result, anticipation and excitement surrounding this match are at an all-time high.
Bangladesh and India are placed in Group C in the third round of the Asian Cup qualifiers, alongside Hong Kong and Singapore.
The group stage follows a double-round league format, with the top team earning a spot in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, which will be held in Saudi Arabia with 24 participating teams.
The Bangladesh v India match will be broadcast live on the country’s sports television channel, T Sports, and will also be available on its YouTube channel.
India hold a significant advantage over Bangladesh in the Fifa rankings.
India are ranked 126th, while Bangladesh are positioned at 185th.
In head-to-head encounters, India also dominate, having won 16 of the 31 matches between the two sides.
Bangladesh have secured victory only three times, while 12 matches ended in draws.
Despite these statistics, matches between the two nations have always been intense and competitive.
Regarding the upcoming match, Bangladesh’s head coach, Javier Cabrera, said: "I believe it will be a thrilling match. We are highly motivated. We have already undergone 24 days of rigorous training and preparation, which is a long time. It will be a fiercely contested game, and we hope to make things difficult for India."
