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India have announced their basketball squad for the upcoming matches in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, set to take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.
India will face Qatar on Friday, November 22, followed by a clash with Kazakhstan on Monday, November 25. These matches mark a crucial phase for the Indian team, who are yet to secure a victory in the ongoing tournament.
The Indian team faced Kazakhstan in their opening match of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, suffering a 50-63 defeat. Matters got worse in their second game against Iran, where they crashed to a 53-86 loss.
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India's hopes will largely rest on the shoulders of Aravind Muthukrishnan, who has been a standout performer in the qualifiers so far. He scored 17 points in the opener against Kazakhstan and contributed nine more against Iran. Alongside him, Pranav Prince has been effective with 17 points in two games and an impressive 15 points from rebounds.
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Speaking about the matches, skipper Muin Bek Hafeez expressed excitement about playing in his hometown.
"Youngsters must come and watch this match. It will be a big motivation for them. This is the first time we're playing in Chennai; we usually play in Bengaluru or Delhi but to play in Chennai is a great opportunity for the youngsters to come and watch the game and get exposed to the international stage," he said in an interview with Basketball India.
India face a tough task in the qualifiers, having lost both their previous matches. History does not favor India in their upcoming game against Qatar either, with only one win in their five previous encounters against them.
Coach Scott William Flemming has made strategic additions to the squad, including Harsh Dagar, who earned his spot following strong performances in junior competitions.
India’s FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers match against Qatar is set to kick-start at 5pm IST on November 22 and will be available for live streaming on the FIBA YouTube channel.
India's squad for FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers' upcoming matches
Amjyot Singh, Sahaij Pratap Singh Sekhon, Kanwar Gurbaz Singh Sandhu, Harsh Dagar, Kushal Singh, Muin Bek Hafeez, Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi, Arvind Kumar Muthu Krishnan, Prashant Singh Rawat, Pranav Prince, Palpreet Singh Brar, Princepal Singh.
